Jump to content

kivandopulus

Contributor
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    943

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    7

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by kivandopulus

  1. kivandopulus
    Rather sour season again, but among the titles I find Akachan to Boku as the most deserving one   1. Akachan to Boku Baby and Me 赤ちゃんと僕 [Pierrot] (Finished 3/35) Tags: Shoujo Childcare Comedy, Drama Takuya Enoki is living a difficult life for a fifth grader. His mother passed away in a tragic car accident a few months ago, forcing him to pick up the slack and take care of his baby brother, Minoru, as his father works the endless hours typical of a Japanese salaryman. He will have to sacrifice his childhood in order to meet the needs of his little brother. Cooking, cleaning, worrying, and trying to discipline Minoru are some of the tasks Takuya will have on his plate, all while their neighbors blame him for Minoru’s constant crying. Meanwhile, he will watch as his friends live their carefree lives, enjoying their free time. It will not be easy and there will be plenty of stumbling blocks, but along the way, he may actually learn the true meaning of family. Spirit is similar to Mama wa Shougaku 4 Nensei, focus is on cuteness , emotions and nostalgy. Sadly , it's not the things that interest me in anime. A very well done anime, and if you choose it voluntarily with appropriate mood,  you'll definitely enjoy it. But without the right mood it's just lots of crying , emotions and simple events with simple thoughts, so not exactly my type.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Kochira Katsushikaku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo こちら葛飾区亀有公園前派出所 (1996) [Gallop] (Finished 3/373) Tags: Comedy Adult Cast, Detective, Gag Humor Ryoutsu, being an underpaid policeman, is always coming up with underhanded schemes in order to make a quick buck. But in the end, his plans (which are ridiculous to begin with) always go wrong and land him in big trouble with the chief. Funny enough series, but not so much because of the humor, but just because of the concept of mischievous policeman which is hardly possible nowadays.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Ganbarist! Shun ガンバリスト! 駿 [Sunrise] (Finished 3/30) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Sports First-year high school student Fujimaki Shun has a dream of becoming an olympic gold medalist as a gymnast. Having no previous training, Shun trusts his passion, boldly joins the gymnastics club, and sets out to pursue his goal. Along the way, he meets his share of entertaining and supportive upper classmen, develops a romantic interest in his classmate, and learns about the happiness involved in devoting yourself to a sport. Why Sunrise is always taking most simple concepts that only visionary would be able to save... And Sunrise are diligent conveyor workers and definitely not visionaries. It results in pretty average comedy spokon.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Tetsuwan Birdy Birdy the Mighty 鉄腕バーディー [Madhouse] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen  Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi Tsutomu, an average middle school kid busy studying for the final exams to enter high school runs into a man running from someone and gets caught up in the chase. In all the confusion he gets accidentally killed. Luckily Birdy (an interplanetary agent) knows a way to save him, unfortunately that means joining bodies to become one. So now he is stuck with this officer and along for the ride capturing criminals and saving lives. Last time I watched it many years ago, it impressed me enough for a masterpiece score. Nowadays... it's still sincere and innovative enough, but it's just not enough to enjoy it anymore .   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Slayers Special Slayers: The Book of Spells スレイヤーズすぺしゃる [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural In these three self-contained half-hour stories, Lina Inverse and her partner, Naga The Serpent, take on a variety of jobs for quick cash, food, and/or their own skins. The first episode, "The Scary Chimera Plan," puts them against a lunatic magician who intends to use Lina to create a fearsome, spell-slinging monster. Then, in "Jeffry's Knighthood," they're hired by an overprotective mother to see that her son - a young man barely capable of holding a sword - becomes a respected knight, by "helping" him fight off the marauding soldiers terrorizing the area. Finally, "Mirror, Mirror" puts the two in a race to hunt down and capture (for bounty, of course) a rogue sorceror who's found an ancient artifact that can create loyal duplicates of anything or anyone, including his enemies. Still good, still not good enough.   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Byston Well Monogatari: Garzey no Tsubasa Garzey's Wing バイストン・ウェル物語 ガーゼィの翼 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Isekai Action, Fantasy Christopher "Chris" Chiaki is an easygoing guy who keeps failing his college entrance exams well into his mid-twenties. His days are occupied with Kendo practice, visits to his family's shrine, and dreaming of his high school reunion. When his spirit is suddenly transported to the world of Byston Well, Chris becomes Garzey's Wing, a legendary holy warrior. The Metomeus tribe summoned him to help liberate them from slavery, but unfortunately, Chris has no knowledge on how to be a holy warrior, and moreover, only has an incredibly dull sword which he salvaged from a corpse. To make matters more complicated, there is another Chris who is still in the normal world! He cannot control the events in Byston Well, but is tied to the fate of the other Chris. The young man must struggle and adventure in a world of magical creatures and mysterious foreigners. Since it's spin-off of Aura Battler Dunbine, it kinda feels like one, just without mecha this time. But all the other flaws are present - rushed narration, bland characters, needless real-life guy dimension, lack of logic and explanation.   Overall Rating: 4/10   7. Blue Seed 2 ブルーシード 2 [Production I.G, Xebec] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Action, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Ecchi A renegade scientist in San Francisco has found a way to create a new creature called a Neo-Aragami without the power of Susanoo. When these monsters start to terrorize California, the U.S. turns to the old members of the Terrestrial Administration Center (TAC) for help. It has become just action with new monsters and a new character. No pressure involved and inferior in all elements compared to original.   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. Shadow Skill (1996) 影技 SHADOW SKILL [Zero-G Room] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Super Power Adventure, Drama, Fantasy In a war torn world of deadly conflict, one small group of heroes stands against the forces of darkness, armed only with two weapons—their unswerving dedication to good and the superhuman martial art known as the Shadow Skill... Perhaps only slightly better than previous Shadow Skill OVA. Same epic fighting action is in the core, hard to even follow the plot as it tags behind .   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Choujin Gakuen Gowcaizer: The Voltage Fighters Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer 超人学園ゴウカイザー　ＴＨＥ　ＶＯＬＴＡＧＥ　ＦＩＧＨＴＥＲＳ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action, Sci-Fi, Ecchi It is the dawn of the 21st century. The cataclysmic earthquake which reduced half of Tokyo to a broken landscape of twisted steel and shattered stone was only the first sign of the impending apocalypse. Athletic and popular, Isato Kaiza was an otherwise ordinary student. But nothing could've prepared him for the day he was given a Caizer Stone by fellow student Kash , alias Hellstinger. Armed with the mysterious crystal, Isato now possesses the power to transform into the armored hero: Gowcaizer! To save the Earth, Gowcaizer and Hellstinger must join forces against Omni Exist, the manifestation of all negative human desires, and the force behind the recent disasters, before the entity obliterates the human race! Beat em Up game adaptation, so as usual there's rather simple story and at the same time some alien infodumping. Feels random and just boring.   Overall Rating: 4/10   10. Maze☆Bakunetsu Jikuu Maze: The Mega-Burst Space OVA MAZE☆爆熱時空 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Magical Sex Shift, Mecha Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Maze has gained incredible powers traveling through time and space, but she has also acquired one rather large problem: every night she turns into a really horny man. Unfortunately, Maze must rescue an equally lascivious princess from a mysterious warrior cult. Still, the male version of Maze would rather be chasing tail than rescuing willing princesses. Ecchi>Comedy>everything else including story in this anime. Without real plot I don't know what to evaluate here.   Overall Rating: 4/10   11. Shin Hurricane Polymar 新・破裏拳ポリマー  [J.C.Staff, Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Martial Arts, Super Power Action, Sci-Fi Remake of old superhero show of the same name. Godawful remake of a trashy ancient series.   Overall Rating: 3/10   12. Twin Signal: Family Game Twin Signal TWIN SIGNAL~ファミリーゲーム~ [Tokyo Kids] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mecha Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi  Signal, a robot companion built for Nobuhiko, is attacked by Pulse, one the its creator's previous prototypes. Reprogrammed by Dr. Otoi's mysterious rival, Pulse is loaded down with weapons and sent on a mission by Otoi: steal the most recent robot technology, and obliterate anything that gets in his way. Show's super primitive, most of the time is devoted to unsophisticated humor.   Overall Rating: 4/10   13. Jigokudou Reikai Tsuushin 地獄堂霊界通信 [Toei Video] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Fantasy, Horror  Tetsushi, Ryouchin and Shiina are a youthful trio not to be trifled with; they have a fearsome reputation. One day they decide to enter Jingkudou, a store which is rumored to be the gateway to Hell, the storekeeper sure is creepy enough. He tells them a story and after that they decide, with a magical token provided by the storekeeper, to try and find the restless spirit of a murder victim in order to give her release. This is only the start of their supernatural career... Some horror stories with distinctive manga-resembling style, among its rivals above average, but I can't appreciate this genre .   Overall Rating: 6/10   14. Eiyuu Banka Koushi-den 英雄挽歌 孔子傳  [NHK] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Adventure, Drama, Romance Born in the Chinese state of Lu in 551 B.C., Confucius is raised by his mother after his father dies when he is only three. He marries at 19 and enters the service of the local nobility. At 32, he becomes tutor to the Prince of Lu's children, eventually becoming a politician at 51. His career peaks are the roles of Lu's justice minister and eventually prime minister. The land prospers for four years, but Confucius grows disenchanted with court intrigues. For the following 12 years, he wanders the neighboring states, offering advice to their rulers. Just a biography, indeed.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. X/1999 X - The Movie エックス, X/1999 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Action, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Supernatural At the millennial edge, the concluding battle for humanity's future is staged. Kamui Shirou's destiny has been decided as he returns to Tokyo to face his ultimate challenge. The Dragon of Heaven, defenders of the Earth, stand ready to protect the world from the Dragon of Earth, the seven angels of legend, who embrace the devastation of the planet to bring about its purification. Now Kamui must decide which side to fight for although he finds the idea utterly unappealing. It isn't until realizing that his two childhood friends, Fuma and Kotori Monou, are in grievous peril that Kamui decides to step into his fated position in the climactic struggle of the Year of Destiny: 1999. 1999 was sometimes referred as the year of the end of the world, and this is eschatological fight with mostly just cool imagery like blood, mass destruction in the night city, angels etc etc. It only has visual value, as for me, because plot is just fighting of someone with someone else through magic, psi or similar means.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. Slayers Return スレイヤーズRETURN [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy The inhabitants of the village of Biaz, forced to labor in the serivce of the world-domination-happy Zein organization, hires Lina Inverse and Naga The Serpent to drive off the invaders. Lina and Naga agree, lured by stories of Elfin treasure sleeping below Biaz, only to get considerably more trouble -from the Zein and from the treasure - than they ever expected. Can't say I'm impressed with the story, but at least animation quality is probably highest for the franchise.   Overall Rating: 6/10   17. Jigoku Sensei Nube (Movie) Hell Teacher Nube 地獄先生ぬ〜べ〜 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen School Adventure, Comedy, Horror, Supernatural Kumiko Ijima who is one of Nube's students recognizes that a man in a local park is really a criminal wanted for murder when she remembers drawing his face from the wanted photos posted by the police. Kumiko warns her classmate Kyoko while at the same time the man discovers the drawing with the name initials "K.I." written on Kumiko's drawing portfolio and briefly sees that Kumiko wears a red ribbon in her hair. The cops chase the criminal who crashes his car into a seal where a demon takes control over his soul. The demon is now on a killing rampage to find any girl that wears a red ribbon whose name initials are "K.I.". Just twice longer than usual episode of the series.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Futari no Oujisama The Two Princes 二人の王子さま [Toei Animation] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Fantasy, Slice of Life  On the island of Jambe, Subarna, an introverted boy, is given a magic crown and, with the help of the crown, soon becomes the people's hero known kind heartedness. This enrages Rupia, the island's young prince, who has Subarna arrested. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   19. Maya no Isshou マヤの一生 [Mushi Production] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Drama, Slice of Life Historical - Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   20. Angel ga Tonda Hi エンジェルがとんだ日 [E&G Films] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Comedy, Slice of Life  A heart-warming story depicting the day-to-day life full of laughter and tears as a mother copes with her children. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10
  2. kivandopulus

    VN of the Month November 2022

    By kivandopulus,


    VN of the Month 2022
    Don't think it's right to nominate games shortly after release. Let's wait for reviews or even write them ourselves.   1. Akuma to Yoru to Isekai to 悪魔と夜と異世界と [221125] WendyBell Main character encounters a devil girl Alice and agrees to bind a contract with her about life-long absolute obedience and soul transfer to Alice after death. He starts working at her coffee shop together with half-demon childhood friend Waka . After vampire girl Maria falls from the sky and princess from another world Elisabeth joins the scene, situation grows absolutely chaotic. Hardly anything is known to this moment and with company reputation chances for a story-oriented work are slim, still I always hope for the best.   2. Same to Ikiru Nanokakan サメと生きる七日間 [221125] CUBE One night, Fukami Kyouhei suddenly found himself lying on an unfamiliar beach. Looking around, all he saw were the vast ocean and sandy beach...... Drowning in confusion, other than that, he also felt something strange on his head and when he fearfully checked it out—— "Agu, Agu" A naked girl with a shark-like appearance was biting Kyouhei's head. Surprised by that moment, he fled from that spot, and this time, even though it was still in the middle of the night, he thought that he saw a girl in a bathing suit. "Thank God~~! You're alive~~!" The girl hugged him, there were so many things that he couldn't even understand anymore. While he was listening to the girl that hugged him who claimed to be his childhood friend, the naked shark-like girl from earlier caught up with him. Kyouhei panicked, and when he was trying to escape, the naked shark-like girl pointed at him and said—— "Kuu. Assaulted, this person." The air hardened. The girl who is his childhood friend was taken aback by this, and while she was giving Kyouhei the cold stare, the naked shark-like girl spun a precise word. "Kuu. Assaulted, by, this person." Siren blared, cold handcuffs put on...... Fukami Kyouhei, only a few minutes after regaining consciousness, is already in a crisis——! A powerful sporty girl who claimed to be Kyouhei's childhood friend, Hoshiro Remi. A beautiful high-handed girl who likes B-grade gourmet food and comes to the island for sightseeing, Tenjiku Amane. And, named after her cute animal-like sound manner of speaking, "Kuuko", the girl with a shark-like appearance—— On this island full of mysteries, while encountering various girls over and over, Kyouhei gets tangled up in a tumultuous fate—— There can hardly be much seriousness with shark invaders, so it's more of a mystery comedy with many girls and obscurities from the start. Game does not try to be great and chew more than it can digest.   3. Zwei Trigger ツヴァイトリガー [221028] Orthros Endlessly, wandering... surely, for all eternity. ――Spirited away. In this town—that enjoyed explosive growth over the last ten years or so—the number of missing persons is several times the national average. Having been disquieted by the disappearence of his sister-figure — Akizuki Kaname; Kurusu Yuuma has been searching for her, becoming entangled in a mystery. Takanashi Shin'ya, in order to save Akesaka Touka, who suffers from a mysterious illness of unknown cause; investigates the truth of the spiriting away, which she too was once a victim of. This leads to him facing off with paranormal existences. Now, the iron will of two boys shall become the trigger that lays bare the darkness that lurks within the city―― Story lacks greatness and volume, for this reason two zapping protagonists are introduced, every little bit of volume helps. Worldview,  thriller and communication parts are done well, and lack of battles is forgivable as it's a debut work.  
  3. kivandopulus
    Elf wo Karu Mono-tachi surprised me a lot with modern isekai concept and really good humor while having next to zero ecchi despite the plot - felt like a firm masterpiece during watching .    1. Hana yori Dango 花より男子  [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Shoujo Love Polygon, School Drama, Romance Makino Tsukushi, a girl who comes from a poor family, just wants to get through her two last years at Eitoku Gakuen quietly. But once she makes herself known by standing up for her friend to the F4, the four most popular, powerful, and rich boys at the school, she gets the red card: F4's way of a "Declaration of War." But when she doesn't let herself be beaten by them and is starting to fall for one of the F4, Hanazawa Rui, she starts to see that there is more than meets the eye... It can be described as a more serious and high-school version of Kodomo no Omocha, now with a full harem of bishounens. Lots of insincerity, stamps and just visually dull.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Kidou Senkan Nadesico Martian Successor Nadesico 機動戦艦ナデシコ [Xebec] (Finished 5/26) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Military, Parody, Space Action, Romance, Sci-Fi Akito doesn't want to fight. Despite a childhood spent on the anime Gekiganger 3, a Mecha show, he'd rather cook than pilot a Mecha. Fate intervenes when his home on Mars is destroyed, and he is transported instantly to the Earth, mysteriously. He has questions no one can answer fully, but follows a girl from a chance meeting in hopes to discover any. The girl, Yurika, is captain of the private battleship Nadesico, and in order to follow her, he enlists as their cook. Possessing the nanite implants that allow to control mechas, he's a handy backup pilot for the mechas of the Nadesico. He joins a crew bent on avenging Mars that seems to be composed of only misfits, otakus, and ditzes; however, in reality, they are handpicked experts. They take their own private war back to Mars to face the harsh reality that life may not always be like a Giant Mecha series. What other one ship space opera comedy  with misfits do I know to compare with? Irresponsible captain Tylor hits all the dots. And compared to Tylor this anime loses in everything - protagonist, comedy, character depth, universe, plot, logic. Nadesico does not care about the story, it has the stage for harem and many girls and that's enough for situational comedy. And Tylor did all that and more. If I try to deliberately search for a field where Nadesico wins it would be absurd humor, though I'm a fan of more conceptual humor. And I just can't enjoy it at all .   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Saber Marionette J セイバーマリオネットJ [Studio Junio] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Shounen Harem, Martial Arts, Mecha Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi In the distant future, since the Earth has become overpopulated, efforts to find and colonize on other planets have begun. However, one of the ships, the "Mesopotamia" malfunctions and all but 6 of its inhabitants are all killed. the remaining 6 manage to escape to a nearby planet named "Terra ll ", which is similar to Earth in many respects. However, all of them are male. Therefore, as to not let their efforts go to waste, they begin to set up 6 countries and to reproduce through cloning and genetic engineering. however, there are still no women, and to make up for it they create lifelike advanced female androids called "Marionettes" which do everyday chores and work. However, they are all emotionless machines. But one day, a ordinary boy named Otaru finds and awakens 3 special battle type Marionettes that have emotions due to a "Maiden Circuit" within them. It's up to him then to teach them and allow their emotions to grow, and when a nearby country threatens with world domination, it's up to to Otaru and his "human" Marionettes to protect their country. First of all, let's forget everything about horrible Saber Marionette R since it's alternative version. Harem supposes good SOL, cute girls and good comedy. And just as Nadesico, it only succeeds in absurd type of humor. On the good side, there is some actual plot and action that help a bit.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Taiho Shichau zo (TV) You're Under Arrest (1996) 逮捕しちゃうぞ (1996) [Studio Deen] (Finished 4/47) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Detective, Workplace Action, Comedy Tokyo Highway Patrolwomen Natsumi and Miyuki get off to a bad start when Miyuki busts Natsumi for reckless moped driving on her way to work. Things get worse when they find out they're going to be partners! A continuation of the OVA series, the adventures of Tokyo policewomen Natsumi and Miyuki continue in the You're Under Arrest TV series. It's back to Bokuto Precinct, where demented felons and bashful (but hunky) policemen abound, and where the cutest girl in the office... isn't a girl. A nice police stories show, but the problem is that it's not particularly interesting. It becomes boring and predictable very soon.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Elf wo Karu Mono-tachi Those Who Hunt Elves エルフを狩るモノたち [Group TAC] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Shounen Isekai Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Ecchi Loudmouthed martial artist Junpei Ryuzouji, elegant actress Airi Komiyama, and cheery but artillery-obsessed student Ritsuko Inoue all find themselves transported from their homeland of Japan to an unfamiliar, magical world. When the elven priestess Celcia Marieclaire casts the spell to send them home, she is interrupted, and the spell is broken into parts that scatter throughout the world. The spell fragments imprint themselves onto the skin of various elves. The trio travels in Ritsuko's tank, searching for elves who might carry the spell fragments so that Celcia can transfer them to her own body and make the spell whole again. As they adventure, people begin to refer to them as "Those Who Hunt Elves," gaining a reputation as warriors that put a stop to evil-doers with their miraculous cannon, terrifying elves by stripping any that they find. Though they're not the smartest group, they make up for it with enthusiasm and their strong determination to get back to Japan. The main question about show is not whether it is masterpiece or not, but where it's a borderline or firm one. Let it be maximum score for comedies. It's the first real modern Isekai that I can recall. It has a lot of ingenuity and variety involved. Both characters and comedy are well done. Humor can be offensive here for some people , but tastes differ, and I see it as provocative, neat and crafty - main attraction, actually alongside uniqueness and twists of stories in each episode.   Overall Rating: 8/10   6. Ie Naki Ko Remy Sans Famille 家なき子レミ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/23) Tags: Historical Adventure, Drama, Slice of Life Remy, a cheerful and tender-hearted girl, lives with her mother in a French country town. One day her father returns to the town after a long period working away from home in a city. Her father tells Remy that she isn't their real daughter, and Remy is almost sold to an evil slave trader. It is Vitalis, a strolling entertainer, who helps Remy. Vitalis discovers her talent for singing and decides to take her in with his troupe. Guess why I don't remember original from 1977. Because its demographic was determined as kids in MAL. Content is rather all age for both works, but I agree that only kids can welcome proclaimed morals and they are easier to perceive the slow pace. As usual, world masterpiece theater feels terribly boring and just useless to me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Mahou Shoujo Pretty Sammy (1996) 魔法少女プリティサミー(1996)  [AIC] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, Parody Comedy, Fantasy The carefree Tsunami is next in line to rule over the Magical Kingdom of Juraihelm. But before she is officially crowned as queen, she must restore balance to the universe that has come to favor darkness. To accomplish her goal, Tsunami gives the ordinary Sasami Kawai a magical baton that can transform her into a magical girl. She also appoints the rabbit-like creature Ryou-Ouki to aid Sasami in the battle against evil. However, Sasami refuses to become a magical girl—not because she is scared, but because she finds it too embarrassing! Meanwhile, the arrogant Ramia is plotting to overthrow Tsunami by enlisting her own magical girl—the eccentric Pixy Misa—to cause chaos and ensure that balance is never restored. As Pixy Misa terrorizes the planet with her Love-Love monsters, Sasami must learn to swallow her pride and accept her role as the universe's champion of justice, Pretty Sammy. We sampled Pretty Sammy in OVA already, and the only question is how much series differs from OVA. It has become more thorough and I'd even say loose in contrast to rushed OVA. For magical girl SOL genre Pretty Sammy is rather generic.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Hamelin no Violin Hiki Violinist of Hamelin ハーメルンのバイオリン弾き [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy  Trouble arises in Staccato one day. Demons show up and start to wreak havoc on the townspeople. The entire country seems to be suffering. The source of the problem is that the "barrier" which until now has kept the demons from crossing over to the human world, is weakening. The person who sustains it is losing her strength after holding it up for so many years. That person is Queen Horn of Sforzando. Hell King Bass is trying to break through the barrier and release their "supreme leader," Kestra (Orchestra). One whose power is unparalleled yet is trapped somewhere in the world of the humans. OVA was very intriguing and funny, but too short. Now all tempo and humor is gone and we get slow, tedious and serious narration. Maybe things spice up eventually, but definitely not in the first three most important for impression episodes, and characters aren't that interesting to go on in hope for miracle to happen.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Chouja Raideen 超者ライディーン [Sunrise] (Finished 3/38) Tags: Shounen Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi Hishou, Ginga, Ace, Hayate, and Ikazuchi all work at a studio doing various idol-related jobs at the request of their manager, Reiko. But in reality, these five teenagers are really the Reideens, a group of superheroes who fight the Super Devils sent by Lushu, a mysterious being. Little do the Reideens know, these Super Devils are being sent for a more important purpose... I can't stop getting surprised with the most banal concept choices of Sunrise. Power rangers variation is not a good concept for serialization. Just saying .   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. YAT Anshin! Uchuu Ryokou ＹＡＴ　安心！宇宙旅行 [NHK] (Finished 3/50) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi  The emergence of the dimensional tunnel sets the background for a new space era in which space travelling can be designated to planets outside the solar system. Hoshiwatari Goro is a space traveller who goes in search for his father whose whereabouts are shrouded with obscurity. His only link to his father is an old photograph. In order to attain his goal, Goro participates in a young space travelling company known as "YAT" which organises tours to different planets. However, in the midst of his journey, he was involved in an accident which resulted in the destruction of the spaceship. As a form of compensation, he had to work for YAT and this sparks off a train of space adventures for him. Aired in some Western countries - from this alone it's clear that it's a safe comedy with main focus on kids. I don't fancy its humor, and everything else is too childish.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Kiko-chan Smile きこちゃんすまいる   [Eiken, Magic Bus] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Josei Adventure, Comedy, Slice of Life  Kiko-chan's Smile is an anime and manga series about a kindergarten student who has many of the features of a child prodigy but at the same time has many bizarre habits and an odd personailty. Not translated. Partially available in Chinese and Korean. Each episode consists of three stories like SOL comedies of the past. Eccentric child genius sketches are easy to watch, but since it's of episodic nature, it's hardly worth the effort of translation, especially because Kiko-chan hardly talks at all and the whole comedy has to be based on some unexpected moves.    Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Angel Densetsu エンジェル伝説 [Toei Animation] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Delinquents, School Action, Comedy When Seikichi Kuroda—self-proclaimed "guardian" and head thug of Hekikuu High School—hears rumors of a first-year transfer student named Seiichirou Kitano terrorizing his entire class, Seikichi tries to intimidate him through authority. However, things go awry when he witnesses something horrifying—Seiichirou has a face so dreadful and haunting that even Seikichi hurries away in fear. But despite his menacing appearance, Seiichirou has a heart of gold. Inhibited by his poor communication skills and fear-inducing looks, he has never managed to convey his true self to his terrified peers, resulting in his lifelong ostracization. Now the new guardian, Seiichirou discovers that sometimes friends can be found in the most unlikely places and through the most unusual circumstances. The concept is intriguing, so it was thrilling to watch. But it's a short-running joke, so can't rate it too high.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Fushigi Yuugi OVA Mysterious Play OVA ふしぎ遊戯 [Pierrot] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shoujo Historical, Isekai Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Having concluded their adventure inside the mystical book The Universe of the Four Gods, Miaka Yuuki and Yui Hongo resume their ordinary lives with but one exception: upon returning to the real world, Miaka is permitted to bring her beloved Tamahome along with her. Unfortunately, shortly afterward, new troubles threaten the couple's hard-earned happiness. During a visit to the graves of the two other girls who had traveled inside The Universe of the Four Gods, Tamahome is engulfed by a red light and disappears right before Miaka's eyes. Witnessing the puzzling incident, her brother Keisuke and his best friend Tetsuya Kajiwara resolve to help the heartbroken Miaka find her boyfriend again. Meanwhile, Tamahome has been brought back into the book, only to discover that 50 years had passed since his departure. To his surprise, he learns that he has now switched identities with his former enemy, Nakago. Will the two lovers triumph over these adversities to reunite once more, or are they doomed to remain separated forever? 90% of the time in this afterstory is devoted to bishounens, and since I did not finish the series all those dozens of characters looked confusing.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Kakugo no Susume Apocalypse Zero 覚悟のススメ [Ashi Productions] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Mecha, Mythology, Super Power Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Ecchi A series of natural disasters has reduced the world to rubble, with the survivors doing whatever they must to survive in a world gone mad. But one young boy, Kakugo, gifted with amazing martial arts and a superpowerful suit of armor by his late father, has been charged with making the world (or at least his school) a safer place. But his sister has a matching set of skills and equipment, and she`s on a mission to bring peace to the world... by wiping out humanity! Reminded me Teito Monogatari a lot. Post-apocalyptic and with body horror as well. This time there's at least a clear plot and quite fine art style. Visual images are rather memorable though plot is not great.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Bakuretsu Hunters OVA Sorcerer Hunters 元祖　爆れつハンター  [Xebec] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Harem, Super Power Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Ecchi On the "Spooner Continent", a valiant group of Sorcerer Hunters are the people's last line of defense against the evil dark magiks unleashed periodically by those who can't control it. Saving the world and looking sexy while doing it! Sorcerer Hunters was a rather average adventurer action with a big focus on ecchi. Needless to say, OVA puts full emphasis into it so that there's hardy anything left besides that.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. Ai Tenshi Densetsu Wedding Peach DX Wedding Peach DX 愛天使伝説ウェディング・ピーチDX  [ADV Films] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shoujo Adventure, Comedy, Romance  The 1996–1997 anime OVAs of Ai Tenshi Densetsu Wedding Peach, also known as Ai Tenshi Densetsu Wedding Peach DX (Deluxe). These four OVAs were uniquely designed and scripted, and the art style had been changed slightly from the original series as well. Each of these OVAs feature one of the Ai Tenshi along with a season: Wedding Peach—Summer, Angel Salvia—Autumn, Angel Daisy—Winter, Angel Lily—Spring. They are, however, in no way related to each other, except for some indication of previous OVAs by Hinagiku and Yuri. These are the adventures of the four Ai Tenshi, two years after their battle with Reine Devila. Just fanservice OVA that does not attempt to provide any continuation or serious separate story.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Master Mosquiton Master of Mosquiton マスターモスキートン [Radix] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Mythology, Vampire Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural In the 1920's, Inaho resurrects a vampire named Mosquiton with her blood. He awakens and becomes her slave. Now, Inaho is after the O-Part, which will grant her immortality. However, a bunch of supernatural monsters are out to stop them from achieving their goal. Adequate vampire action with a bit of romance and alleged ecchi, but without fancy, can't say that anything stands out.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Legend of Crystania レジェンド・オブ・クリスタニア [Triangle Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural Dreams begin to haunt Lady Sheru -- dreams of her past life as Pirotesse. Her love, Ashram, is being tormented at the hands of the soul of Barbas posing as their former king, Beld of Marmo. Interpreting this as a plea for help, Sheru searches for a way to save him by entering the chaos realm using the Chaos Ring. Meanwhile, Redon and his friends are called to arms again as ancient creatures begin to appear after being sealed away for centuries. Both their paths will cross once again, and on their shoulders will the fate of Crystania lie. It's almost three times longer than prequel and thus fixes its biggest flaw - rush. Finally there is a substantial story with some interesting traits, and two adventurer parties confrontation is always a treat for me. Can't call it a masterpiece though as Record of Lodoss War had better characters and atmosphere.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Variable Geo ヴァリアブル・ジオ [Chaos Project] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Super Power Action, Ecchi The special of the day is Variable Geo-a brutal battle between waitresses who serve up generous portions of energy blasts and vicious side orders of murderous martial artistry. For buffed beauties who make below-minimum wages, VG is the perfect way to make some fast cash. The victorious walk away with millions, and the defeated lose everything (namely, all their clothes). But this high-stakes sport has dark forces and dubious practices behind the fun and games. Lethal injections make steroids seem like vitamins. Instead of team prayer, there's demonic possession. Athletic sponsors are malevolent corporations with a more frightening agenda than increased market share. It's all just part of the game. Imagine ecchi martial arts action, and it won't be far from what Variable Geo offers. But it fulfils eye candy purpose all right.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Kotetsu no Daibouken 小鉄の大冒険  [Project Team Sarah] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi  While walking through the streets of Tokyo, Linn Suzuki comes across a strange device sticking up from the sidewalk. Suddenly, she is set upon by thugs and is helped by a beautiful stranger who takes them all down. It seems young Linn has fled Deep Kyoto from her cruel mistress and has traveled to Edo where she hopes to find her long lost brother, who was last seen working for the Kuon Detective Agency. By chance, this stranger happens to be Miho Kuon and lets Linn stay with her (nicknaming her Kotetsu, or Little Tetsu after her brother, Tetsujin). However, a mysterious agency called the Syndicate are after Miho and Linn is now in the thick of things. Ecchi level is too high, so there's not much room for story left. So if you come here for ecchi, above average. If for story, then...   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Panzer Dragoon パンツァードラグーン [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi  Legends speak of a Dark Tower with a race of dragons that awaits the command to arise and wreak havoc. At least Kyle used to believe they were only legends until his lady, Alita, is stolen by the Black Dragon! Now Kyle must form an alliance with Blau, a blue dragon, in order to rescue her before she becomes the catalyst for the Dark Tower's final program: the complete destruction of the world! Another game concept that would feel just right with lots of fights and gameplay, but with all those fights taken away nothing is left of the plot to fill those 25 minutes.   Overall Rating: 4/10   22. Ginga Ojousama Densetsu Yuna: Shin'en no Fairy Galaxy Fraulein Yuna Returns 銀河お嬢様伝説ユナ　～深闇のフェアリィ～  [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Just when everything seems peaceful again for Yuna and her friends, a new enemy appears in the form of three robotic sisters. Yuna must once again become the Savior of Light to fight this strong, new evil. More seriousness, but also a more shallow plot with just these robotic sisters. Not great overall.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Houma Hunter Lime Jewel BEM Hunter Lime 宝魔ハンターライム [Production Reed] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy  For centuries, the magic and human worlds have been at peace with each other, though physically seperated by a magical gate. But when the powerful magic spheres are stolen and fall to the Earth below, the king of magic sends Boss, a fighter; Lime, a master transformer; and Poogie, a master morpher to retrieve them. With not much time, the trio must retrieve the spheres which, when in contact with the human world, suck up the negative emotions of household objects and become BEMs, Bug Eyed Monsters! Since I happened to play all Lime games, I knew that games were practically ready anime concepts, but I still hoped for some improvisation and just knitting it all together into one story. I'm astonished by the super lazy approach to just choose first sub-lots and stop there even without concluding it somehow. It's still above average.   Overall Rating: 6/10   24. Gall Force: The Revolution ガルフォース THE REVOLUTION [AIC] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi East Force meets West Force and all Hell breaks loose. The Solonoids, that lovable race of female warriors, are at it again, fighting amongst themselves. During a heated battle, however, it looks like the leaders of the two factions have hung their warriors out to dry. In the middle of all this fighting and chaos, East Force detects a transmission from an unidentified planet. The Gall Force gals leave their posts to go. Lufy, the West Force's Ace Pilot, who is after Rabby, follows them to the planet. Unique 80s lovely character designs are gone and new generic 90s have taken their place. Serious AI-Nuclear annihilation themes are gone with that too and concept is super light compared to older parts.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. 10-shuunen da yo! Chibi Maruko-chan 10周年だよ! ちびまる子ちゃん  [-] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Shoujo Comedy - Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   26. Black Jack the Movie Black Jack: The Movie ブラック･ジャック 劇場版 [Tezuka Productions] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Medical Award Winning, Drama Joe Carol Brane attempts to hire Dr. Black Jack on a breed of superhumans that have the strength, intellectual, athletic, and artistic skills with great excel in different fields, only to later find out that they start deteriorating after some period of time and causing an untimely death. Joe needs Dr. Black Jack's help on finding a cure. Only slightly better than OVA, same medical detective with a bit of body horror.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Shin Kimagure Orange☆Road: Soshite, Ano Natsu no Hajimari 新きまぐれオレンジ☆ロード ～ そして、あの夏のはじまり  [Pierrot] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Slice of Life, Ecchi  It's been several years and Kyosuke Kasuga is now 19. A mysterious phone call warns him of oncoming cars but he doesn't listen. Ironically, he gets hit by a car and because of his telepathic abilities, gets sent three years into the future. His 22 year old future self is now a photographer who is lost in Bosnia and believed to be dead. Kyosuke must find his 22 year old future self and restore himself, the 19 year old, to his correct time. Along the way he reunites with Hikaru who is now a professional and famous dancer. Madoka is also there, distraught over both Kyosuke, the 22 year old, going missing in Bosnia and Kyosuke, the 19 year old, getting hit by a car. Another weird nostalgy scam that was absolutely not needed.   Overall Rating: 5/10   28. Ihatov Gensou: Kenji no Haru Spring and Chaos イーハトーブ幻想 Kenjiの春 [Group TAC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Anthropomorphic, Historical Drama, Slice of Life A unique biographical sketch of the life of the great modern Japanese poet Kenji Miyazawa, Spring and Chaos is a highly stylized and intense film that draws on Miyazawa's writing techniques to tell his life story. Miyazawa often used animals as the main characters in his stories and poems, and it is this technique that allows director Shoji Kawamori to recreate Miyazawa's fanciful land of Ihatov and use it as the backdrop for Miyazawa's life. Beautiful and affecting, Spring and Chaos is a fitting tribute to one of Japan's greatest writers. The story is mostly about how Kenji learned and wished to see magic and life in nature. Hardly informative or revealing, but overall not bad though short.   Overall Rating: 6/10   29. Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo Movie 1: Operazakan - Aratanaru Satsujin 金田一少年の事件簿・オペラ座館・新たなる殺人 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen School Mystery Invited for a anniversary celebration, Kindaichi, Miyuki and inspector Kenmochi re-visit the Opera House. There they discover that a play of "The Phantom of the Opera" is being rehearsed again. However, it doesn't take long when members of the acting troupe are killed by the "Phantom". Kindaichi will once again have to solve a murder series in the Opera House. I think it's the first Kindaichi anime, so should list it. Kindaichi stories involve more adventure and more mystics compared to Conan. Those who like detectives know Kindaichi well, those who don't like detectives won't bother anyway.   Overall Rating: 5/10   30. Alice in Cyberland ありす ALICE in Cyberland [Vega Entertainment] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Sci-Fi When criminal Cybernackists appear in the Cyberland, the vast 21st century computer networks, Alice, Miss Catnick, Leina, and Julie are drawn in by the mysterious Lucia to become a fighting force of young girl soldiers in the Cyberland to combat the criminal element. I was afraid it had something to do with old nukige visual novel, but in fact it's made after a simple PS1 fighting game , so anime is rather generic with couple fights as well.   Overall Rating: 4/10
  4. kivandopulus
    No masterpiece as it often happens. If I compare enjoyment level of those that I rated higher than others, I'd nominate Hyper Police as it's at least logical, easy-going and with memorable characters though episodic   1. Shoujo Kakumei Utena Revolutionary Girl Utena 少女革命ウテナ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 11/39) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, Psychological Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery Years ago, a tragic incident befell a young princess when both her parents died. Devastated, it seemed nothing would calm this poor soul. However, a prince traveling through the area came to see the princess, hoping to cheer her up. After wiping her sorrowful tears, the prince gave her a ring carrying a rose emblem and told her as long as she holds onto the ring, they are destined to meet again. The event leaves a deep impression on the girl, Utena Tenjou, leading her to become a prince herself. Years later, Utena attends Ootori Academy, recognized by the same rose emblem as her precious ring's. There, attracted by the scent of roses, she witnesses Anthy Himemiya tending the flowers, accompanied by the Student Council President Touga Kiryuu and Vice President Kyouichi Saionji, who seem to be arguing over Anthy. While Utena thinks nothing of the occurrence, the Student Council gathers to discuss an important matter. Subsequently, a misunderstanding leads to Utena being dragged into the world of Duelists—those with rings similar to her own. The Duelists fight for the ownership of the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya, who is said to possess great power. Wanting to prove her capabilities as a prince, and enraged that Anthy is being wronged and objectified, Utena resolves to fight against the Duelists to save her from the cruel fate. Utena is probably the most famous shoujo and with pretense of psychology, so needed to rewatch it again now as I don't remember what it ended with. Last time I watched it, I was most unsatisfied with pacing and loose middle of the show, so now watched only beginning episodes and 34 onwards to not completely doze off prematurely. And ending is yet another disappointment. Unique bore is still a bore.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Slayers Try スレイヤーズ TRY [E&G Films] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Mythology Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy For nearly a millennium, demons have imposed a magical barrier that has impeded the people trapped within it from reaching the outside world. Now that it is broken, several kingdoms seek to explore the lands that were once beyond their grasp. To this end, they establish a peace delegation to make contact with the inhabitants of the new world. Meanwhile, the young sorceress Lina Inverse receives a message from a mysterious woman named Filia ul Copt. When they meet, Filia expresses interest in hiring Lina and her friends, having heard of their great deeds, for a certain task that will take them to the outside realm. Despite that, Filia feels the need to put their strength to the test and pits them against a dragon in the middle of the city! After proving themselves, the sorceress and her fellow adventurers set off for the unexplored lands, where many adventures and a worrying prophecy await them. I'd rename to Slayers still Try. The vibe is there, but loses in comparison with Slayers Next.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Shin Tenchi Muyou! Tenchi in Tokyo 新・天地無用! [AIC] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Harem Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi Tenchi Masaki heads out to tackle the big world, setting off to school in Tokyo! But not everyone is happy to hear he is moving away, as his female friends sulk and complain at the prospect of him being alone. However, Tenchi is not by himself for very long, as he soon meets a kind and compassionate girl named Sakuya Kumashiro who helps him get used to life in Tokyo. The two become close friends, but Sakuya wants more than just that, so she proclaims her love for Tenchi. This confession comes as a shock not only to Tenchi, but also the girls back home. In response, the girls decide to step up their game, and they immediately flock to Tokyo to take Tenchi for themselves. With the girls competing for his love, Tenchi must decide once and for all who the most important woman in his life is. However, he is going to have a hard time deciding, as strange events start happening that drive Tenchi further apart from his friends. Tenchi series was slowly moving in the direction of silliness, but now with the need to fill in 26 episodes it just blooms exceedingly .   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo The File of Young Kindaichi 金田一少年の事件簿 [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/148) Tags: Shounen Mystery Hajime Kindaichi's unorganized appearance and lax nature may give the impression of an average high school student, but a book should never be judged by its cover. Hajime is the grandson of the man who was once Japan's greatest detective, and he is also a remarkable sleuth himself. With the help of his best friend, Miyuki Nanase, and the peculiar inspector Isamu Kenmochi, Hajime travels to remote islands, ominous towns, abysmal seas, and other hostile environments. His life's mission is to uncover the truth behind some of the most cunning, grueling, and disturbing mysteries the world has ever faced. I promised to skip Kindaichi, but it concerned OVAs and Movies, naturally I'd still want to list series as TV series often have openings. Not that I have anything more to say about Kindaichi though.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Chuuka Ichiban! 中華一番 [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shounen Action, Comedy, Drama, Gourmet The story takes place in 19th century China during the Qing Dynasty, where the Emperor was weakened and the country was close to chaos. It is also during a fictitious era called "The Era of the Cooking Wars". It was an era in which top chefs with different cooking styles tried their best to improve their skills and to become the best chef in China. It is a country where insulting a high-grade chef or fooling around with cooking could land a person in a jail, and impersonating a top-chef is as good as usurpation of authority. Chefs compete with each other in order to gain respect and even power, but also with the risks of losing everything. The country of China has four major regions: Beijing, Szechuan, Shanghai, and Guangdong. The beginning of the story takes place in Szechuan, Mao's birthplace. After the death of Mao's mother, Pai, who was called the 'Fairy of Cuisine', Mao becomes a Super Chef in order to take the title as Master Chef of his mother's restaurant. However, before he takes his mother's place as Master Chef, he continues to travel China in order to learn more of the many ways of cooking, in the hopes of becoming a legendary chef, just like his mother. During his journey, he meets great friends and fierce rivals who wish to challenge him in the field of cooking. There have been a lot of cooking our gourmet anime since Ajikko, but never expected to see a historical cooking subgenre show. With magic tools and exaggerated techniques it's too unrealistic to trust and respect and thus enjoy.   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Clamp Gakuen Tanteidan CLAMP School Detectives CLAMP学園探偵団 [Pierrot] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shoujo Action, Comedy, Mystery The CLAMP school, with its integrated curriculum from kindergarten to post-graduate studies, was founded by the largest of Japanese business empires, the House of Imonoyama. Funded entirely out of its own deep pockets, it was hoped that the school would be a haven for young men and women on whose shoulders our future would rest. The School is open to any talented individual, irrespective of his or her lineage or financial standing and is known to count scores of singularly talented pupils. It is furthermore also famous for its harboring of a remarkable percentage of party animals. Not even the bright and talented minds of CLAMP School can keep the campus free of crimes and mysteries. Or can they? Join Nokoru, Suoh and Akira, our case-cracking kid detectives, as they save the day and even the odd damsel in distress! I'm just not the one to evaluate a detective show about cute elementary school bishounens helping some ladies as everything is so alien that nothing is able to catch attention to care about any of this in the least.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Hyper Police はいぱーぽりす [Pierrot] (Finished 5/25) Tags: Detective Action, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi  Sasahara Natsuki is a poor bounty hunter in a world where monsters and humans live together. Most of her cases involve monsters infringing upon the rights of humans, who are protected by law from their generally more powerful neighbors. Being half-human and half cat-beast, Natsuki straddles the two societies and tries to understand and respect both while enforcing the law. She is assisted by a werewolf named Batanen who is afraid to admit he loves her; another werewolf named Tommy; and a Kyubi fox demon named Sakura who has her own plans--which include eating Natsuki to complete her her nine tails and thereby her magical powers. Half-beast world at the very least guarantees cuter than usual character designs. Had to sample some additional episodes to grasp the concept correctly, but now I know I'm sure that it's of episodic nature and holds no big central plot line. Some case or recreation, some humor, some flirt and some Sakura trying to kill Natsuki repeats over and over as it goes on. It's fairly entertaining, but in Dirty Pair there was at least some adventure each episode while here concept is more loose and there can be episodes about nothing much.   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. Maze☆Bakunetsu Jikuu (TV) Maze: The Mega-Burst Space  [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Shounen Magical Sex Shift, Mecha Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Maze wakes up in her house, everything is a wreck and she has amnesia. Before she can gather what has happened the girl Mill storms into her house thanking her for having saved her life. She tells Maze that her house suddenly fell down from the sky and crushed Mills pursuers under it. However before long they are both on the run from further pursuers who want their hands on princess Mill. They are only saved when Maze discovers that she has phantom light magical powers and can summon Mills family heirloom mecha. However her performance with the mecha is weak; that is until the sun goes down and she is turned in to a lecherous man. Soon other travellers join them as Maze tries to protect Mill and figure out what she is doing in this fantasy world. Magical Sex Shift anime are either too frivolous or too tilt on comedy like Ranma. Maze at least tries to stay half-serious fantasy that even starts as isekai. As I see it, Maze half-asses everything and fails to excel at anything, thus the oblivion.   Overall Rating: 6/10   9. Haunted Junction HAUNTED じゃんくしょん  [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen School Comedy, Supernatural Saito High is a high school with its spiritual beings and a principal whose hobby is collecting occult paraphernalia. The school has the prophecy-chosen members of the Holy Student Council to protect it. These students have problems of their own; Haruto Houjo, the president, has a way of summoning spirits, and would resign from his duty for a normal life if it weren't for the principal. Kazumi Ryodo, the next member, is good at being possessed and has something for the Hanako. The last member is Mutsuki Asahina, who is a master of exorcism and is attracted to small boys. Unfortunately, these three are in charge of keeping the school in line and defending the world from supernatural beings, and this mission brings them through wacky predicaments. I doubt occult anime can ever really impress me. Haunted Junction is probably the best attempt so far as it's a full-scale comedy based around hunting youkai. Humor is closer to absurd one, yet not going to extremes like some shows out there. Heroine obsession with shota often looks really horrible, though. Ping-pong club had a lot better humor also following half-absurd humor style. So theme, characters and humor quality don't suit me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Hakugei Densetsu Hakugei: Legend of the Moby Dick 白鯨伝説 [Studio Junio, Annapuru] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Space  Adventure, Sci-Fi A courageous young man tries to find the only person who can save his planet from the most terrifying beast in the universe—the great white whale Moby Dick—in this futuristic anime adventure set in 4699. But locating the outlaw Captain Ahab and his illusory crew of whale hunters and persuading them to put an end to the leviathan's long reign of terror won't be easy. Will Ahab take up the challenge one more time? Produced by Tezuka Productions and directed by Osamu Dezaki , Hakugei promises a unique experience. But it's far from good and loses to Captain Tylor in all aspects. After setup the whole middle is loose and even the ending is not particularly interesting. Crew is varied, but stereotypical and without girls . Humor is not really good as it's mostly based on cheap violence and choir reactions of the crew nullifying individuality. Sadly, it ends up boring on every level .   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Hareluya II Boy ハレルヤIIBOY [Triangle Staff] (Finished 5/25) Tags: Shounen School Action, Comedy, Fantasy Hareluya Hibino has one ambition in life: to conquer the entire world! Despite his tough exterior, he's not a bad person, and when push comes to shove, he'll do his best to help those in need. Together with aspiring painter Kiyoshiro, Hareluya will take on whatever curveballs life may throw his way. A decent and even slightly funny delinquents anime. Visuals are somewhat underwhelming. Characters are rather average and humor is not that great with the one recurring pattern of taking out enormously huge items from behind back .   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Tezuka Osamu no Kyuuyaku Seisho Monogatari: In the Beginning In The Beginning: The Bible Stories 手塚治虫の旧約聖書物語 In The Beginning [Tezuka Productions] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Historical  Through the Italian National Broadcasting Network, Tezuka Osamu received an ardent request from the Vatican to make the Bible into animated form. This request was probably made to see how the Bible would be depicted by the non-Christian Tezuka Osamu. Tezuka Osamu accepted the request and spent an entire two years to complete a pilot film. It was about the mythology of Noah's ark, with the enthusiastic Tezuka Osamu not only writing the scenario but also drawing pictures by himself. During production, however, he unfortunately passed away, so Director Dezaki took over the film and completed it. Bible is not a historical book, not more than Ramayana or other mythological texts. Can only be watched by kids or people who don't know the contents of the book.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Kero Kero Chime ケロケロちゃいむ [Studio Comet] (Finished 3/30) Tags: Isekai, Parody Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Aoi, a regular boy, is cursed with a spell that turns him into a frog whenever he gets wet. He is sent to another world with a frog kingdom to find the princess to undo the spell. When he finds out that she doesn't know how to lift the curse, they set out to find the spell that will. Along the way they meet many interesting creatures, come across many dangers, and make many new friends. Kids travel again, this time in a friendly comedy filled world. Reminds me Dragon Ball the most with a normal yet transforming protagonist and worse tempo. Too childish and unreasonable to bother.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Bamboo Bears バンブー・ベアーズ [Telescreen] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Comedy  Bamboo-Lee, Dah-Lee, and Slo-Lee are three bears with a goal: to save the world before more species become extinct. But can the bears stand up to the spineless villains behind Ratco Corporation? With Ai-Ai the pink dragon on their side, they may be able to rescue the environment before it's too late. Anime has official dub and no translation subs because of the usual reasons - it was sold abroad and no one cared about it enough after that. Characters and themes are close to Rescue Rangers.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Kyuumei Senshi Nanosaver 救命戦士ナノセイバー [Image Kei] (Finished 0/28) Tags: Adventure The third show in the Virtual Trilogy, a mix of anime and live action shots. In the beginning of the 22nd century society advanced rapidly. Now even children are able to become real doctors, a task before that took two and a half decades to achieve. And nanomachines became prevalent to fight disease. Keita is a Nanosaver, a child doctor who uses the virtual world to apply life saving techniques by entering the body and treating the patients in a virtual medical station (VMS). As more and more patients are taken in, various mysterious are uncovered about them. In the second half of the anime, a small Ethanarian alien and galactic federation is introduced. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   16. AIKa Agent AIKa [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 7/7) Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi  A catastrophic earthquake has left Tokyo, and most of the Earth for that matter, under the sea. Aika is a salvager who retrieves various remains from the watery ruins. When Aika accepts the dangerous mission of locating and obtaining the mysterious Lagu, she discovers that she's not the only one after it. If you like pantsu and can turn off head, it's possible to somewhat enjoy this parody action comedy. But for most people it will be just waste of time.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Fushigi Yuugi: Dai Ni Bu Mysterious Play OVA 2 ふしぎ遊戯　第二部 [Pierrot] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Shoujo Historical, Isekai, Martial Arts Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance After Tamahome is reborn into the real world as Taka Sukunami, it does not take long until he meets Miaka Yuuki again, leading to their romance blooming once more. However, the appearance of Ren Shigyou—a new student at Miaka's high school—disturbs their blissful days. Resentful of the happy lovers, Shigyou uses his unusual manipulative skills to quickly become popular and rally his classmates against Miaka and Taka. As Shigyou's followers unexpectedly attack the pair, the two end up falling from the school's roof into a red light and are transported to The Universe of the Four Gods realm. Returning to the place where Taka once lived as Tamahome, the couple learns that an evil demon is behind the recent events. To make matters worse, Taka risks disappearing from existence unless he recovers his previous life's memories, which are stored in seven jewels. Joining forces with their former companions, Miaka and Taka embark on a quest against the clock to retrieve the precious stones before it is too late. Previous OVA was a mess as epilogue, this OVA suits much better for that role. Story itself so-so, so main purpose to watch should be further exploration of personalities as normal material for fans.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Sakura Tsuushin Sakura Diaries 桜通信 [Shaft] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Love Polygon Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life A Keio University (one of the top three colleges in Japan) exam candidate, Touma Inaba, is interupted when a cute young girl, Urara Kasuga, arrives at his hotel room door. She later turns out to be his cousin who he barely remembers from his childhood. Urara, who had felt something special for him (an other-than-cousinly-love), invites Touma to live with her since he has no place to stay other than the hotel room. Before taking the test, Touma meets Meiko Yotsuba, a beautiful, sophisticated woman also trying to get into Keio. Meiko gets into Keio but Touma does not, due to a cold Urara had given him shortly before. Although he did not make it, he pretends he does to earn the respect of Meiko. Touma is caught up in a love triangle with Urara and Meiko, while struggling to keep Meiko believing he's really a Keio student and still be there for Urara at the same time. This romance is too simple with a too mischievous girl, and nothing catches the eye here for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Buttobi!! CPU I Dream of Mimi ぶっとび!!CPU [OLM] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Embarrassed to be the only member of the Electric Brain Study Society who doesn’t own a computer, Akira Takaoka is thrilled when an electronics store advertises a PC9821 for only ninety-eight thousand yen. The deal is limited to the first five customers; unfortunately, by the time Akira gets there, the PCs are sold out. However, a mysterious man in the back alley offers him the exact same deal. Akira takes the deal, only to realize that this PC is not a 9821 version, but a 2198 version instead. It turns out that the PC2198 is an advanced bio-type computer that needs a nearly constant input of sperm to function! The PC2198, named Mimi, now has to defend Akira from the evil Apple Nacintosh sisters who want to take over the entire Japanese PC market. Will the embarrassed Akira be able to supply Mimi with what she needs to win? Another sudden android girl gain. Kinda expected level of everything for that premise. Parody can not substitute humor, so nothing exceptional.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Battle Athletess Daiundoukai Battle Athletes バトルアスリーテス大運動会 [AIC] (Finished 3/6) Tags: Shounen Space Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Sports, Ecchi It is the year 4999 - mankind has long abandoned war in favor of intergalactic competition through athletic events. One of which is an all-female contest for the coveted "Cosmo Beauty" title. Akari Kanzaki has just entered the University Satellite in hopes of becoming the latest Cosmic Beauty - a title held by her mother long ago. On her first few days in the university, she meets new friends, encounters fierce rivals, and struggles to become the best of all the Battle Athletes. Enthusiastic spokon is something I can't appreciate. Additional elements hardly matter here for the core of different sports competition remains intact. Average is the only word that comes to mind.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Psycho Diver: Mashou Bosatsu Psycho Diver: Soul Siren サイコダイバー 魔性菩薩 [Madhouse, Studio Junio] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Psychological Horror, Sci-Fi Yuki Kano has it all: fame, wealth, the world at her feet. There's also something very wrong with her... from time to time, she's totally unable to sing (which, for a pop star, is not good). Enter Bosujima, a "psycho diver" with the capability to enter people's heads and straighten out what's wrong with them. Well, most of the time, anyway. This movie actually does a good job of being a thriller, but all that buildup resolves in an unsatisfactory way, and the remaining impression is rather sour. Movie is definitely above average in its genre, but I just don't like horrors and can't appreciate all that dark palette movie uses.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. VS Knight Lamune & 40 Fresh VS騎士ラムネ＆40FRESH [Production Reed] (Finished 3/6) Tags: Mecha, Space Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi To save the galaxy from impending doom, Cacao and Parfait are sent on a mission through time and space to retrieve the Fourth Warrior, Lamunes. Unfortunately, Cacao and Parfait discover Lamunes at the helm of the marauding Giga Genos invasion fleet. World by world, Lamunes is determined to bring the entire galaxy under his tyrannical heel. With the help of a plicky orphan, it's up to Cacao and Parfait to stop Lamunes from taking over the world. There were the times when Knight Lamune was just a stupid mecha show, then fanservice elements were snowballing. This last desperate ova is a full-scale ecchi and it's something that I'm dropping even with just 6 average length episodes.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Sprite: Between Two Worlds 真奈美＆ナミ スプライト [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: School Comedy, Romance, Ecchi Lately, shy Manami has been flirting outrageously and sparking vicious cat-fights! Afterwards, she remembers nothing. Can it be that another personality seethes beneath her own? A wild woman who’ll do anything to find trouble? The whole anime lasts for slightly more than an hour and without much explanation consists of scenes with a boy and different sides of Manami personality. Messy and boring.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Yakusai Kochou Demon Fighter Kocho 厄災仔寵 [やくさいこちょう] [Media Blasters] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Comedy, Supernatural, Ecchi  Spirits begin terrorizing a school and it is left up to the sexy student Kocho Enoki to use her attractive body and magical powers to defeat the attackers. Teamed with her sister and Kosaku, their human decoy, they attempt to free the school from the spirits. Unfortunately a female spirit arrives who is immune to Kocho's sexy charms. Phew, the last ecchi this season, but this one is easy as it does not even last half an hour and contains just one ghost-hunting. Not really exciting, but at least it has some absurd elements and some nice comments which looks beneficial compared to totally bland competitors .   Overall Rating: 6/10   25. JaJa Uma! Quartet Wild Cardz じゃじゃ馬カルテット [Movic] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy The Crown Knights are a bizarre special force to fight to the criminals who threaten the tranquil Card Kingdom. Each one had a special ability. But these Crown Knights must get down and dirty when they run up against two war machines shaped like gigantic chess pieces. The deck is stacked against them, somehow they've got the checkmate these indestructible invaders before the Card Kingdom topples. Some banal superhero parody wrapped in even more ridiculous cards entourage and toppled with giant chess. Expect some headache from all this stupidity.   Overall Rating: 4/10   26. Eikyuu Kazoku 永久家族 [Studio 4°C] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Psychological Comedy It started as a sociological experiment. Six different people were brainwashed to think that they were a family and then put in arbitrary situations to see how they would react; however, when a taping of the families conducts is sold in a desperate attempt to make a little capital, it instantly becomes a success. Now the family is a first rated show and their every move is broadcasted around the world without them knowing it. But when a clogged toilet sets off a chain of events that ultimately frees the family from the room they are confined in the broadcasters, not willing to lose their source of income, set out to hunt down and recapture every member of the Eternal family. Some percentage of experimental movies is really something, but this show is not there - it's a set of random scenes literally flushed in the toilet each time from the beginning. What's described in synopsis so logically, viewer will need to gather from pieces and often in wrong succession, so there's only time for a brief ending. Can only be enjoyed by someone who likes absurd shows.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 05: Ankoku Tamatama Daitsuiseki 映画 クレヨンしんちゃん　暗黒タマタマ大追跡  [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Action, Adventure, Comedy An action comedy film depicting the Nohara family who get caught in a fight between two clans, Tamayura and Tamayomi. Set in Tokyo and Aomori (northern end of Japan's main island). The Tamayomi clan had plotted to revive the evil genie Jarke and to conquer the world. To stop Tamayomi's plot, the three gay brothers (Rose, Lavender and Lemon) from Tamayura clan wrested Jarke's ball, which was a key to revive Jarke, from the bar girl gang of Tamayomi clan, but Shinnosuke's younger sister Himawari swallowed down the ball. The Nohara family, with the three gay brothers and a female detective Yone Higashimatsuyama, fights a fierce battle against the Tamayomi gang chasing them. Very weird setting that sometimes even feels like musical. It's just not Shin-chan I liked.   Overall Rating: 6/10   28. Hermes: Ai wa Kaze no Gotoku Hermes: Winds of Love ヘルメス 愛は風の如く [Animation Staff Room] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Fantasy  Thousands of years in the past, a young boy named Hermes is named as a future great hero in a prophecy. Hermes grows up to save a beautiful princess and face the evil king Minos of Crete. Serious story would be fine, but here it's not. All characters look alike and weird songs are inserted as if it's Disney.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  5. kivandopulus
    Kenpuu Denki Berserk is inevitably the winner here, but I also favor Elf wo Karu Mono-tachi II as a firm masterpiece because it's the rare sequel that even surpasses great original. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Ishinshishi e no Chinkonka can be considered as borderline masterpiece.   1. Kenpuu Denki Berserk Berserk 剣風伝奇ベルセルク [OLM] (Finished 25/25) Tags: Seinen Gore, Military, Mythology Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror Guts, a man who will one day be known as the Black Swordsman, is a young traveling mercenary characterized by the large greatsword he carries. He accepts jobs that offer the most money, but he never stays with one group for long—until he encounters the Band of the Hawk. Ambushed after completing a job, Guts crushes many of its members in combat. Griffith, The Band of the Falcon's leader and founder, takes an interest in Guts and duels him. While the others are no match for Guts, Griffith defeats him in one blow. Incapacitated and taken into the Band of the Hawk's camp to recover, Guts wakes up two days later. He confronts Griffith, and the two duel yet again, only this time with a condition: Guts will join the Band of the Falcon if he loses. Due to his fresh injuries, Guts loses the fight and is inducted by Griffith. In three years' time, Guts has become one of the Band of the Hawk's commanders. On the battlefield, his combat prowess is second only to Griffith as he takes on large groups of enemies all on his own. With Guts' immense strength and Griffith's leadership, the Band of the Hawk dominate every battle they partake in. But something menacing lurks in the shadows, threatening to change Guts' life forever. It's still the best version of Berserk best arc Golden Age as more modern retelling cut things like band of Griffin interactions which is absolutely unacceptable. One of the best stories ever told, innovative and genius.   Overall Rating: 10/10   2. Kyuuketsuhime Miyu (TV) Vampire Princess Miyu 吸血姫美夕 [AIC] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shoujo Mythology, Vampire Action, Drama, Horror Evil Shinma (shape-shifting monsters and vampires) roam the Earth on a mission to unleash their darkness upon the Human race. Miyu Royal Princess from the dark is the Chosen One—the one being who must banish the Evil Shinma from the Earth. She has the power to offer Humans the gift of eternal happiness, yet is herself, trapped between two worlds; destined for perpetual solitude and internal conflict. Miyu's only companion is Larva, once an evil Shimna; now her devoted guardian. Together they share a dark journey through the weakness of the human heart and the tragic loss of innocence. Cut off from humanity by the knowledge of what she is, Miyu lives an endless quest as both the hunter and the hunted, on the edge of darkness. I rated 1988 OVA version as 4, so it's hard to expect much from alternative version. Basically, I don't like characters, I don't like theme and I don't like monster of the week concept.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Dr. Slump ドクタースランプ [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/74) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor Comedy, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life In Penguin Village, humans live alongside talking animals and objects. Senbei Norimaki is one of these humans, and he's an inventor with the lofty dream of creating the world's best robot girl. The product of his efforts is Arale, but depending on your definition of perfect, she's anything but! Not only is Arale severely nearsighted, but she also has no common sense! At least she has super-strength, though that often proves to be a setback as well. Although she means well, Arale only causes trouble for her neighbors in the whimsical Penguin Village! I could never get to like Arale-chan as it looked too childish and absurd in comparison to Shin-chan and Maruko-chan. But with series reboot it might get more modern and complex... and of course it did not. One needs to appreciate simple absurd gag comedy humor to like it .   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Elf wo Karu Mono-tachi II Those Who Hunt Elves II エルフを狩るモノたち II [Group TAC] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Shounen Isekai Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy After Junpei botched the second attempt to transport back to Japan, the four embark their journey once again to collect runes imprinted on skin of Elven females by stripping them. Celsia is cursed into the form of another animal this time. I was afraid that with novelty gone old mechanisms won't excite anymore, but Those Who Hunt Elves proved once again that they can reinvent themselves. Now each episode works out of a theme, among those one science theory, two fairy tales, one Christmas fantasy and just cool stories about gags like dreaming pillows or elven toilets. One of those rare sequels that even surpass original.   Overall Rating: 8/10   5. Battle Athletess Daiundoukai (TV) Battle Athletes Victory バトルアスリーテス大運動会 [AIC] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen School Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Sports Akari Kanzaki has just joined an all-girls academy in hopes of entering the University Satellite, an elite sports training facility. She wants to win the title of Cosmo Beauty - a title held years ago by her mother. It's not an easy task for her as fear, doubt and peer pressure get in her way, but friends, rivals and fans slowly encourage her to overcome her obstacles and become the best of the Battle Athletes. Just wow, OVA has not ended yet and there's a whole season of same sci-fic spokon bore. During three episodes I failed to understand what for to like this series at all - pointless action, average characters, below average humor and non-existing plot or concept.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Virus: Virus Buster Serge VIRUS -VIRUS BUSTER SERGE- [Plum] (Finished 4/12) Tags: Detective, Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Neo Hong Kong, 2097: The world has changed. Advances in genetic engineering and cybernetics have created an environment full of artificially enhanced humans and intelligent super-computers that operate using biological software. But the same technology that has allowed man and machine to merge has made both susceptible to a new kind of threat—digital viruses capable of controlling their hosts. What we got as initials is worrying - source is exploration Sega game, director who debuted for some episodes in the Bubblegum crisis OVA, four bishounens who mostly operate in the field and some girls who mostly supervise from HQ. As a result the whole virus stuff finishes by the end of 2nd episode and further on it's just aimless Bubblegum all over again without the same quality though.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Master Mosquiton '99 Master of Mosquiton '99 マスターモスキートン'99 [TV Tokyo] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Vampire Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural  Catholic schoolgirl Inaho discovers that a vampire, Mosquiton, is feeding off of her classmates. So she stakes him, but he is revived after her blood comes in contact with the his remains. Mosquiton becomes her slave and also a history teacher. Together, along with Yuuki and Honou, the unlikely duo have many escapades and adventures. One of Inaho's main goals is to find the mythical O-Part to make some money! Since OVA my attitude has not changed, and OVA is the better experience overall.   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. Yume no Crayon Oukoku Crayon Kingdom of Dreams 夢のクレヨン王国 [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/70) Tags: Shoujo Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy The civilians of the Crayon Kingdom have always view their Princess Silver as a twelve-year old girl with a beautiful smile. However, unknown to them, the princess has 12 bad habits. This has created much distress to the Chameleon Prime Minister and the Crayon ministers for it would be embarassing if this gets out. One day, a party was held to celebrate Princess Silver's twelvth birthday. The princess was trying to seek her Prince Charming that she forgot to take notice of her bad habits. One of the boys at the party was so angry that he changed Silver's parents, the King and Queen, into stone. In order to break the curse and save her parents, Silver decided to set on a journey to locate the boy. Together with her companions, Silver begins her adventure. Chibi shoujo travelling with anthropomorphic veggies and animals comedy is not something I crave for. Humor is ok, and that's what matters .   Overall Rating: 6/10   9. Fortune Quest L Fortune Quest フォーチュン·クエストL [E&G Films] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  Our story is set in another world, parallel to ours. We meet Pastel, an orphan girl, 18 years old, who lives with a group of adventurers in a small house. Pastel works as a writer and also a "mapper", charting towns, the countryside, rivers and mountains with sketches and illustrations. She is highly respected by her friends as her intelligence and honesty are extraordinary. Living in the house with Pastel, we meet Clay, a young swordsman; Trapp, the son of a bandit chieftain; Kitton, literally a working dictionary and a descendant of the Family Kittons; Knoll, a big guy a with tender heart; Whitey, a baby dragon; and Rumy, an infant sorcerer of the tribe "Elf." Together this odd group become involved in many mysterious adventures from treasure hunting, to searching for a missing person, to challenging a riddle, to many more unexpected quests. Seems to have only single subbed episode which is more of an introductory one. As long as such situation persists, let's leave it at OVA score.   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Chou Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru Super Demon Hero Wataru 超魔神英雄伝ワタル [Sunrise] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Comedy  After the battle with Doakuder at Soukaizan (the "other" world where the rainbow has disappeared because of the devils), a demon world Devil came to Genseikai (human world) and stole Wataru's conscience. Because of that, Wataru's heart of justice and his memories of being Kyuuseishu (world savior) vanished. After Shibaraku and Himiko brought him back to Shinbukai (the "other" world, where Soukaizan is located), Wataru regained his memories, however his conscience was still missing. To get it back, Kyuuseishu Wataru must return to fight the devils, rescuing all of Soukaizan from catastrophe! Chou Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru is the 3rd work of the Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru TV series by SUNRISE, and is considered as a "remake" series of the previous Wataru series. It started airing from October 2, 1997, and ended on September 24, 1998, every Thursday from 6:00 to 6:30pm, with a total of 51 episodes. Silly chibi Sunrise mecha is back. Whatever.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Next Senki Ehrgeiz Next War Chronicle Ehrgeiz ネクスト戦記エーアガイツ [Studio Deen] (Finished 4/12) Tags: Mecha, Space Action, Sci-Fi  Earth started space colonization by creating the Next Colonies. Next later rebelled, and created the Next Government. The rebellion became a war, and the multi-purpose Metal Vehicles, MVs for short, were changed for battle purposes. Meanwhile, Terra, an Earth Rebellion force, started creating more trouble for Earth. Now, a mysterious MV-like being, S.A.C ("S" for short), is loose, and Next wants it so that they can win the war. Terra's psychic leader, Hal, has been sensing "S", and wants to know more about the power it has. The future of these three groups will be up to a bunch of outlaws who live on the abandoned Next 7 colony, though no one knows that yet... There was some potential, but as soon as average characters, then mecha and psychics kicked in, it got irreparable.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Ganbare Goemon Legend of the Mystical Ninja がんばれゴエモン [Trans Arts] (Finished 3/23) Tags: Shounen Comedy The evil overlord Makuamuge is planning to take over both the game and real worlds, and it is up to the ninja Goemon, his friends, girlfriend, and giant robot to defeat Makuamuge's henchmen and save both worlds. One of the better examples of good video game adaptations, but it remains a children-tilt comedy.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Shinkai Densetsu Meremanoid 深海伝説MEREMANOID [Triangle Staff] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy  The story takes place in the underwater world of Mer. The army of the kingdom of Bars, until recently peaceful, begins a terrible war against its neighbors: the principality of Moslem and the ancient and glorious kingdom of Agadia. No one can explain how the small kingdom of Bars has reached such a power. In a short time, it manages to challenge much larger and more powerful realms. Meanwhile, two young 'spiritual knights' (Jo and Oz) make a living by killing marine monsters. The population, however, is not very tolerant towards the duo. People fear their powers, seeing them as a potential threat. The pair will unwillingly find themselves fighting the army of Bars, and the forces of darkness that have taken its head... Animation is of very low quality, characters and plot disappoint.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Sakura Momoko Gekijou: Coji-Coji Coji-Coji さくらももこ劇場 コジコジ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/100) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy  The only thing that concerns Coji Coji is enjoying life and the wonders of nature. Coji Coji’s friends, on the other hand, are a varied bunch of colorful characters whose many idiosyncrasies have a tendency to create turmoil among one another. Coji Coji’s carefree ways and tendency to shirk responsibility are sometimes a source of frustration, but his childlike wisdom has a way of resolving all of their differences. Not translated. Characters feel a lot like transformed Sakura class, humor is nice though specific to the theme of such weird youkai characters. There's also just one story for the whole episode, so pace is worse that in Maruko-chan. With second Maruko-chan still running , hard to say who this series is for.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Photon Photon: The Idiot Adventures フォトン [AIC] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Photon Earth is a young and gentle boy with superhuman strength and "Baka" (meaning "idiot" in Japanese) scribbled on his forehead (apparently by his troublemaking friend Aun Freya). One day, he finds himself engaged to the beautiful fugitive pilot Keyne Acqua after writing "baka" on her forehead. And that's the least of his worries as he must protect both Aun and Keyne from the evil Papacharino, who seeks to steal the secrets of "Aho" (another word for idiot) energy from Keyne's grandfather's ship. It's coherent, but I'm still not that desperate to praise anything that is not a mess. It's a story of two kids bonding witch some additional characters and fanservice and eventually trouble. To get to decent I should at least somewhat like the characters, but, alas.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. Macross Dynamite 7 マクロスダイナマイト7  [Production Reed] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Space Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Less than a year after the events that transpired in the Macross 7 TV series, Basara leaves Fire Bomber and travels to the planet Zola. There, he meets a girl named Elma, who is a big fan of Fire Bomber. It is also on this planet where he must once again use his Spiritia powers; this time, to stop an army of poachers and Elma's father Graham from killing a group of space whales travelling within the planetary system. Lots of music, some bad karaoke and something like a story at times, but totally wasted on someone who never liked Macross 7.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Saber Marionette J Again またまたセイバーマリオネットＪ  [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Harem, Mecha Action, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry, female-like androids called marionettes, have returned to Otaru`s side. The somewhat reformed marionettes of Faust (Tiger, Luchs, and Panther) are sent to stay with Otaru and friends to learn more about being human. Enter a seventh marionette named Marine, who has a mysterious power -- and they all possess the special maiden circuit that allows a marionette to feel emotions! Same immature and unexciting development does not leave it a chance.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Baby☆Love ベイビィ☆LOVE  [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Comedy, Romance  Seara loved Shuhei ever since she was a little girl. Although, Shuhei was three years older and much bigger than her. He told her to come back when she was older and more grown-up. A few years later, Seara grew to look like a high school student and managed to riggle her way into Shuhei's home. She will now attempt to win his heart, although there might be some obstacles in her path. Rather banal and short romance with two pairs.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Sakura Taisen: Ouka Kenran Sakura Wars サクラ大戦 桜華絢爛 [Radix] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Mecha, Performing Arts Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi The year is around the 1920's and the darkness of the demons have arrived. Now, only the people with large amounts of spirit energy can save the Earth. The Flower Division is now going to be sent out destroy the demons for they're our only hope for survival with their new steam-powered machines and unique fighting techniques. If you want to learn a story or worldview or politics behind it all, look elsewhere since it's more like a prequel or introduction with just all-girl team gathering and operating with mistakes and then male protagonist starting to lead without mistakes. It bears next to zero information.   Overall Rating: 6/10   20. Yakumotatsu Eight Clouds Rising 八雲立つ [Pierrot] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shoujo Historical Adventure, Horror, Supernatural Fuzuchi Kuraki is a quiet young high school student blessed with immense psychic powers and an ancient sword. He is searching for other magical artifacts with the help of Nanachi Takeo, a college student with latent powers of his own. They delve deep into the dark magic of Izumo, only to discover the secrets buried within the birthplace of all Japanese mythology. Too many shounen ai allusions for me here and actually none of shoujo, lol. Anyway, it's just a bit of introduction into Kuraki and his circumstances story, and team is ready for new adventures... which aren't serialized.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Detatoko Princess Suddenly Princess でたとこプリンセス [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy  Lapis is the princess of Sorcerland. She's beautiful, powerful and has a sparkling personality; it`s too bad that she's not that bright. She'll go to any length to protect the most innocent of creatures even if it means destroying the kingdom to do so. And lets not forget her obsession with pudding! Detatoko Princess is a laugh-out-loud lampoon of all the fantasy stereotypes you've come to love with a generous heaping scoop of slapstick! It's a very random fantasy slapstick comedy with more chaos than Slayers though still not as absurd as Magical Circle Guru Guru. And since all three episodes are individual stories, there's pretty much nothing in the "story" department.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Elf-ban Kakyuusei: Anata dake wo Mitsumete... エルフ版 下級生 あなただけを見つめて… [PP Project] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Harem, School Drama, Romance High school students Mizuho Yuuki and Miko Kamiyama are best friends. Miko likes fellow classmate Tohru Nagase. Mizuho is determined not to get in the way of their budding relationship. But underclassmate Ai Minamizato also likes Tohru. Tohru must decide which girl he likes the most. First Kakyuusei game had a unique combination of traits and showed up in fitting time, but all attempts to repeat or imitate it inevitably failed as it was a secondary product with different combination of traits in a different moment of time. It mostly starts to feel too banal, it's exactly the case for this OVA.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Kigyou Senshi Yamazaki: Long Distance Call 企業戦士YAMAZAKI ~LONG DISTANCE CALL~ [Ripple Film] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Drama, Sci-Fi A 42-year-old salaryman is made to serve his company beyond the grave when his brain is installed in a super-powered android body in order to carry out corporate espionage. Comedy is fine and there's even some action, but it's just 37 minutes long and the whole premise looks really weird nowadays as super exploited person dies from overwork and continues to be exploited in the afterlife eternally and forces others to work more and more intensely. With the whole corporate espionage kicking in, new product starts to be valued more than a lot of people lives. It's the message I would not want to convey to anyone.   Overall Rating: 4/10   24. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Ishinshishi e no Chinkonka Samurai X: The Motion Picture るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚- 維新志士への鎮魂歌 [Gallop] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Historical, Samurai Drama The war against the Tokugawa Shogunate ended years ago. But there are some who are not happy with the outcome. Shigure Takimi watched his friends and family get slashed down in the name of freedom and prosperity. Now he and a band of desperate rebels have sworn to settle one final score. Only one man stands in their way: Kenshin Himura. But when Shigure discovers Kenshin's true identity as the Hitokiri Battousai, his fight becomes a personal vendetta. A serious movie about Kenshin past with good samurai action is what I expected from it and that's exactly what I got, so no complaints here. Not for everyone, but it definitely can be enjoyed.   Overall Rating: 7/10
  6. kivandopulus
    Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star has the upper hand this season while Perfect Blue is an honorary masterpiece   1. Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star Outlaw Star 星方武侠アウトロースター [Sunrise] (Finished 24/24) Tags: Space Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Gene Starwind has always dreamed of piloting his own ship out into the vast sea of stars. Unfortunately, not all dreams come true, as he spends his days working odd jobs alongside his partner, James Hawking, on the small planet Sentinel III instead. However, this all takes a turn when the duo takes on a job from Rachel Sweet who, unbeknownst to them, is actually a treasure-hunting outlaw. Tasked with protecting a mysterious girl known as Melfina, the meeting irrevocably changes the pair's lives as they are sent out into the great unknown aboard the highly advanced ship, Outlaw Star. Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star follows Gene and his ragtag crew as they brave the final frontier, navigating the stars in search of answers to the mysteries surrounding Melfina. Encountering dangerous bounty hunters, space pirates, Taoist mages, and even catgirls, there is sure to be an exhilarating adventure around every corner. Watched it in the past and it still looks great, surprised to know it ran before Cowboy Bebop. It's good that Sunrise decided to move in direction of their in my opinion only previously worthy franchise of Dirty Pair with making plot continuous. It results in their first firm masterpiece from me.   Overall Rating: 8/10   2. Sexy Commando Gaiden: Sugoi yo!! Masaru-san セクシーコマンドー外伝 すごいよ!! マサルさん [Magic Bus] (Finished 4/48) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor, Martial Arts, School Comedy Okometsubu Fujiyama has recently transferred over to a new school, Wakame High School. His goal is to make 100 friends--until he meets the extremely weird Masaru Hananakajima. Masaru is a martial artist whose specialty is the "Sexy Commando" form of martial art. Masaru forms a club based on this art, including Fujiyama, who he nicknames Fuumin, in the club. The club becomes full of strange, yet wacky people. Aliens, mustaches, and cute fuzzy animals are encountered as the club moves along and gets steadily more popular. Noticed late that each episode is just 8 minutes, but since it has opening, let it stay in this lacking new titles season. It's evident that it comes after gag sketch manga as there is always abstract background like in manga, thus feels schematic. Humor is generally ok, but with accent of trunks flashing to disorient enemies, so not great.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. El Hazard: The Alternative World 異次元の世界エルハザード [Pioneer LDC] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  Miz plans to retire as a Great Priestess of Water to married life with her darling Fujisawa and as replacement the young Qawoor Towles arrives to Floristica. Jinnai sees Qawoor's initiation ceremony as a chance to infiltrate Makoto's laboratory but accidentally activates a mysterious thingy that sends them all through the dimensions to a grey industrial city protected by a huge castle in an alternative world. This franchise is already greatly compromised, so alternative look might help, but the problem is that it's not much different apart from the new world which specifics are not explained at all. This might be not the worst El Hazard anime ever, but the approach it uses can easily anger both fans and newcomers.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Burn Up Excess バーンナップEXCESS [Magic Bus] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Shounen Detective Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Follows the exploits of Team Warrior, a special anti-terror wing of the Neo-Tokyo Police force. Team Warrior is comprised of the habitually broke Rio, gun-crazy Maya, computer specialist Lillica, tech-expert Nanvel, piliot/voyeur Yuji, and is led by the enigmatic Maki. The team faces a number of missions, ranging from bodyguard duty, breaking up robbery and arms rackets, and providing security for a very powerful tank. Rio and company continually thwart the terrorist aims of Ruby, an operative for a shadowy cabal of powerful men. Before the final showdown, the circumstances behind the formation of Team Warrior, how the precocious Rio came to join it, and Maki's painful past will be revealed. Franchise managed to improve with time in humor and action, but the question is whether it's enough. It's easy to watch, and that's decent already.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Bannou Bunka Neko-Musume (1998) All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku TV 万能文化猫娘 [Production Reed] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Seinen Mecha Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Each episode centers on Nuku Nuku's adventures and mishaps in high school, and her relationship to students, the overall series plot centers on the evil Mishima Industries' scheme to dominate the world through its products. In opposition to this plan are the slightly nutty Kyuusaku Natsume and Nuku Nuku, the android who acts as a companion to his young son. Nuku Nuku's classmates are all eccentrics, Futaba, the class president, is a domineering control-freak, who cannot leave her authority in school. Chieko Shirakaba is the rich snob with the two yes-girls who always take her side. There is a bookworm, a mystic, a scientist, and a pop singer. All of these are true to their descriptions: the mystic is always foretelling doom via tarot cards, spirits, or some other occult technique. The pop singer never says anything except as a song. The bookworm always has her nose in a book. These eccentricities add to the series' humor. With all the random stuff happening on the screen my head begins to hurt very soon. It surpasses original in that, so only watchable by those who can appreciate absurd humor.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden B[ボンバーマン]ビーダマン爆外伝  [Madhouse] (Finished 3/48) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi Madhouse 1000 years ago, the beautiful B-da City was attacked by the Dark B-da in their quest to control the entire Blue Solar System. The heroic B-Daman, drawing on their legendary power and ingenious technology, were able to restore peace to the universe. But, it is only a matter of time before evil forces strike again…Our hero, SHIRO BOM with his friends continue to patrol the Kingdom, fight against Dark B-da, always alert to danger, always ready for fun. Only three episodes seem to be translated. This should have been marked as for kids. It's too schematic to even be treated it as comedy with all those pseudo lego-men as characters and simple backgrounds.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. AWOL エイウォール [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Military, Space Action, Sci-Fi Cyress is a peaceful place. People are going about their lives. Two lovers embrace, a family throws a birthday party for their child, a group of people party at a local restaurant. But suddenly, their surroundings explode into smoke and flame. A group of terrorists has snuck through the planetary defenses and has begun an assault. Defenseless, there is little the people of Cyress can do. As the military scrambles to discover what happened, the terrorists manage to hijack seven PDP missiles, which are capable of destroying an entire planet. These terrorists, who call themselves "Solomon" can now hold entire planets hostage! They must not be stopped. Wow, just wow. Compared to AWOL even Angel Cop with similar concept would look like a thriller. Super boring anti-terrorist story with similar looking team in same-looking battle suits, and each episode is some 50 minutes which is twice longer than usual... It's so bad I'm speechless.   Overall Rating: 4/10   8. Gakkyuu Ou Yamazaki King of Classroom, Yamazaki 学級王ヤマザキ [Magic Bus] (Finished 3/53) Tags: Comedy  Yamazaki comes to Earth from an other planet, hoping to conquer our planet. But he soon realizes, that in order to conquer the world, he has to conquer a his own classroom first. That's why he comes up with lots of different ideas to get everybody to follow him. Also, he spends most of his time making Tatsuya (the class rep.) miserable. Having his loyal and strange dog Watanabe always by his side, and the help from his grandparents, Yamazaki is always doing crazy things with his class, completely forgetting his primary goal, and only thinking in becoming "The King of the Class". Not translated. As you can see, it's another absurd gag comedy.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu Gaiden Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 銀河英雄伝説外伝／千億の星、千億の光 [K-Factory] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Military, Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu Gaiden is the first of two OVA adaptations of side stories from the Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu novel series. This first adaptation follows the achievements of Reinhard von Müsel and Siegfried Kircheis of the Galactic Empire before the fateful Battle of Astarte. The Silver-White Valley Reinhard and Kircheis graduate from their military academy and are immediately sent to the frozen frontier planet Kapche-Lanka. Unbeknownst to them, their new superior schemes to kill Reinhard on behalf of a rival of Reinhard's sister Annerose von Grünewald. Dreams of the Morning, Songs of the Night Reinhard and Kircheis are assigned to the Imperial Military Police, where they uncover the corrupt and oppressive practices of the Empire's law enforcement. They are soon ordered to investigate the murder of a student at their alma mater. Dishonor As Reinhard awaits the bestowal of his new title of Count von Lohengramm, he sends Kircheis to the artificial resort satellite Kreuznach III for a vacation. Restless from the lack of work, Kircheis assists the local police with a drug trafficking case related to an attack on a disgraced former Vice Admiral. A Hundred Billion Stars, a Hundred Billion Lights While Reinhard is still a commodore in charge of only a single squadron, he laments the incompetence of his superiors during a battle against the Free Planets Alliance. Amassing military successes under the direct command of Vice Admiral Richard von Grimmelshausen, Reinhard repeatedly clashes with Hermann von Lüneburg, a commodore and former regimental commander of the Alliance's infamous Rosen Ritter. Another portion of fan materials has arrived. After the miserable ending of the series I can hardly care.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Tekken Tekken: The Motion Picture 鉄拳 [Studio Deen] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Martial Arts Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi After being thrown off a cliff as a child, Kazuya Mishima enters the King of Iron Fist Tournament to extract revenge from his father, multi-billionaire Heihachi Mishima. Meanwhile, WWWC operative Jun Kazama and Hong Kong detective Lei Wulong also enter the tournament to investigate on Heihachi's illegal activities involving cloning and genetic engineering. A handful of other skilled fighters are also in it merely to win the grand prize of $1 billion, not knowing of the true purpose of the tournament and fate that awaits them. Every fighting should have its anime, apparently. But since all such anime suck anyway, just 55 minute OVA with characters appearances and maybe a bit of background is fine, no need to bother about real story.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Shihaisha no Tasogare Twilight Of The Dark Master 支配者の黄昏 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Mythology Action, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Since the beginning of time, monstrous Demons and noble Guardians have battled for Earth - the everlasting gift of the one great Mother, creator of all life. A deep hatred burns between Demon and Guardian; the Guardians prevented the Demons from destroying humanity and the world itself. Eons later, Neo-Shinjuku City: few Demons or Guardians remain to continue their epic war. Humans rule the Earth, with no real memory of either Demons or Guardians. Yet deep within the dark underworld of the city, one supreme Demon is alive and plotting to subjugate mankind. Only one Guardian is left to do battle, and the fate of the human race is at stake. A lot of violence and nudity, some horror thriller, but scenes with many characters jump around fast without even selecting some protagonist, so it's mostly just the looks and simple thrills not growing into something bigger.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Makai Tenshou Ninja Resurrection 魔界転生 [Phoenix Entertainment] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Historical, Samurai Action, Supernatural Get ready for a nightmarish journey through faith and betrayal as the infamous Jubei Yagyu wields his deadly blades against the forces of good and evil alike. In an orgy of unbelievable savagery, the armies of the Shogun give no quarter as they ruthlessly slaughter their enemies. Trapped on the rocky isthmus of Amakusa, the faithful await divine aid as the demon stirs in their midst. Desperate for vengeance, a Child of Heaven becomes the emissary of Hell. Tortured by visions of Amakusa's final hour, legendary swordsman Jubei Yagyu returns to his ancestral home seeking respite from the bloody duties of a feudal retainer. Life in the village of Yagyu possesses a serenity ill-befitting days of armed rebellion and unholy alliance. For Jubei the tranquility is far too transparent, and soon, chilling rumors reach him. Four dead heroes renew their claim to life, feeding on the fear and violence of the age. Forced to take up the sword once more, Jubei returns to the path of vengeance and damnation in Ninja Resurrection! It starts rather well, but the further it goes, the more chaos and body horror starts to get involved, and final impression left is mostly disgust.   Overall Rating: 4/10   13. Perfect Blue パーフェクトブルー [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adult Cast, Psychological, Showbiz Avant Garde, Drama, Horror J-pop idol group CHAM! has spent the last two years entertaining its fans. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and CHAM! must see one of its members, Mima Kirigoe, leave the group to pursue her acting career. While Mima's choice is met with a mixed response, she hopes her fans will continue to support her. However, Mima's life begins to change drastically after her departure from the group. Wanting to shed her pop-idol image, she takes on a role in a crime drama series, and her career as an actress gradually becomes more demanding and taxing for both Mima and her manager, Rumi Hidaka. To add to Mima's growing unease, an obsessed fan who is incapable of accepting that Mima has quit being an innocent idol, begins stalking her; a new anonymous website begins to impersonate her life with intricate detail; and CHAM! also appears to be doing better without her. One by one, each disturbing development drives Mima to become increasingly unhinged and unable to distinguish reality from fantasy. It was one of the first anime that I watched, and thus it had quite a strong influence. Can't say I enjoy it much, but it's definitely well done, it touches important topic and stays in memory even after two decades, so it's at least borderline masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 7/10   14. Ginga Tetsudou 999: Eternal Fantasy 銀河鉄道９９９ エターナルファンタジー [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi Based on the story by manga master Leiji Matsumoto (The Cockpit, Queen Emeraldas), the 55 minute featurette picks up one year after the events of Galaxy Express 999 in which a young boy named Tetsuro and his motherly companion Maetel worked to rid the universe on the Mechanized Empire who had taken over Earth. It's yet another epilogue to the series as events happen one year after and the Earth has become even more gloomy , and only Express 999 remains roughly the same. This show never had a real story, only circumstances of characters to explore and travelling. In my opinion, the whole piece is an advertisement for forthcoming Queen Emeraldas OVA. There's a bit of everything and nothing in the whole, as usual .   Overall Rating: 6/10
  7. kivandopulus

    Anime of the Year 1998-II Spring - Cowboy Bebop

    By kivandopulus,


    Anime of the Year
    Cowboy Bebop is the only masterpiece found this season   1. Cowboy Bebop カウボーイビバップ [Sunrise] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Adult Cast, Space Action, Sci-Fi Crime is timeless. By the year 2071, humanity has expanded across the galaxy, filling the surface of other planets with settlements like those on Earth. These new societies are plagued by murder, drug use, and theft, and intergalactic outlaws are hunted by a growing number of tough bounty hunters. Spike Spiegel and Jet Black pursue criminals throughout space to make a humble living. Beneath his goofy and aloof demeanor, Spike is haunted by the weight of his violent past. Meanwhile, Jet manages his own troubled memories while taking care of Spike and the Bebop, their ship. The duo is joined by the beautiful con artist Faye Valentine, odd child Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, and Ein, a bioengineered Welsh Corgi. While developing bonds and working to catch a colorful cast of criminals, the Bebop crew's lives are disrupted by a menace from Spike's past. As a rival's maniacal plot continues to unravel, Spike must choose between life with his newfound family or revenge for his old wounds. Watched it twice in the past, but somehow never considered it to be the best of the best. It certainly has its share of more loose episodes and excessive emphasis on style, and I don't understand blues like at all so can't enjoy soundtrack. 9 is a more honest score for it.   Overall Rating: 9/10   2. Trigun トライガン [Madhouse] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Shounen Adult Cast Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi Vash the Stampede is the man with a $$60,000,000,000 bounty on his head. The reason: he's a merciless villain who lays waste to all those that oppose him and flattens entire cities for fun, garnering him the title "The Humanoid Typhoon." He leaves a trail of death and destruction wherever he goes, and anyone can count themselves dead if they so much as make eye contact—or so the rumors say. In actuality, Vash is a huge softie who claims to have never taken a life and avoids violence at all costs. With his crazy doughnut obsession and buffoonish attitude in tow, Vash traverses the wasteland of the planet Gunsmoke, all the while followed by two insurance agents, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, who attempt to minimize his impact on the public. But soon, their misadventures evolve into life-or-death situations as a group of legendary assassins are summoned to bring about suffering to the trio. Vash's agonizing past will be unraveled and his morality and principles pushed to the breaking point. Tried to watch Trigun at least twice, but never made it past 3rd episode due to rather shallow concept in my opinion, so need to settle that debt now. And of course it did not help. I've learned more about characters, concept and the darker strings close to the end, but it remains an aimless western action with very slow pace. Characters are ok, but you can't build anime on that alone without normal story or humor.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Cardcaptor Sakura カードキャプターさくら [Madhouse] (Finished 3/70) Tags: Shoujo Mahou Shoujo, School Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance Ten-year-old Sakura Kinomoto is an ordinary fourth-grade student living in Tomoeda until, one day, she stumbles upon a mysterious book of cards titled "The Clow." Pondering over her discovery, she unintentionally causes a magical gust of wind to scatter the cards all over town. The accident awakens the Beast of the Seal—Keroberos, nicknamed "Kero"—who tells Sakura that she has released the mystical "Clow Cards" created by the sorcerer Clow Reed. Due to each Card's ability to act independently and their incredible power, Clow had sealed them away. Now that they have been set free, the Cards pose great danger to the world, and it is up to Sakura to put an end to them. Appointing Sakura as the "Cardcaptor" and granting her the Sealed Key, Kero tasks her with finding and recapturing all the Clow Cards. Alongside her best friend Tomoyo Daidouji, and with Kero's guidance, Sakura must learn to balance her new secret duty with the everyday troubles as she takes flight on her magical adventures as Cardcaptor Sakura. Never watched it before, but heard it referenced quite a lot in a rather unpleasant manner. I don't understand the appeal here. Cuteness and character growth? That's not nearly enough. Cuteness must be on the level of K-On or Minami-ke to start to matter. And if I don't care about characters in the least, of course I don't care about their development. It may probably be called trend starter for cuteness , but historically significant does not equal good.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Initial D First Stage 頭文字〈イニシャル〉D [Gallop, Studio Comet] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Seinen Racing Action, Drama Unlike his friends, Takumi Fujiwara is not particularly interested in cars, with little to no knowledge about the world of car enthusiasts and street racers. The son of a tofu shop owner, he is tasked to deliver tofu every morning without fail, driving along the mountain of Akina. Thus, conversations regarding cars or driving in general would only remind Takumi of the tiring daily routine forced upon him. One night, the Akagi Red Suns, an infamous team of street racers, visit the town of Akina to challenge the local mountain pass. Led by their two aces, Ryousuke and Keisuke Takahashi, the Red Suns plan to conquer every racing course in Kanto, establishing themselves as the fastest crew in the region. However, much to their disbelief, one of their aces is overtaken by an old Toyota AE86 during a drive back home from Akina. After the incident, the Takahashi brothers are cautious of a mysterious driver geared with remarkable technique and experience in the local roads—the AE86 of Mount Akina. I never understood racing anime. Luckily there aren't many of these, and Initial D is the main one that comes to mind. First episode is quite unexpected as protagonists questions the need and desire for exploring the different corners of the world on vehicles that can cross difficult terrain etc... and in 5 minutes he's already drifting , competing and feeling the speed or whatever this showing off is called. Now I at least see that appeal comes from indifferent guy doing crazy things on old cars and just enjoying the youth besides that. Not enough for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Yu☆Gi☆Oh! 遊☆戯☆王 [Toei Animation] (Finished 4/27) Tags: Shounen Strategy Game Action, Comedy, Fantasy Bullies often target someone frail and weak—someone exactly like Yuugi Mutou. His beautiful childhood friend, Anzu Mazaki, is always there to stand up for him, but he can't depend on her forever. Katsuya Jonouchi, who is almost always accompanied by his verbal sparring partner Hiroto Honda, doesn't seem like a bad person either, despite always bringing Yuugi trouble. But most of all, Yuugi wishes for a true friend who understands him and would never betray him. Yuugi treasures his Millennium Puzzle, an ancient Egyptian artifact that was brought into his grandfather's game shop. Believing that solving the puzzle will grant him his wish, he completes the puzzle, unleashing a new personality within him—the soul of the "King of Games." Dark, twisted, strong, and reliable, the new personality named Yami Yuugi is the exact opposite of Yuugi. Upon any injustice toward him, Yami Yuugi takes over Yuugi's body and forces the opponent into a "Shadow Game." The stakes are high as whoever loses shall have a taste of the darkness that resides within their own heart. Lots of old debts to settle this season. Yu Gi Oh was often referred as unique strategy concept that presumably does not have analogues. Having sampled it, it's just an upgraded Pokemon concept for slightly older children. Rules are only explained in third episode, but it's the same episodic battles road from that. Not enjoyable in this state even though character interactions are on above average level .   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Lodoss-tou Senki: Eiyuu Kishi Den ロードス島戦記　英雄騎士伝  [AIC] (Finished 27/27) Tags: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance  Five years after the death of the Emperor of Marmo in the War of Heroes, Parn is now the Free Knight of Lodoss, he and his old allies now famous through the land. However, the Emperor's right-hand man, Ashram, seeks the scepter of domination to re-unify Lodoss under his former leader's banner. Meanwhile, beyond his attempts at conquest lies a more sinister force beginning to set the stage for the resurrection of the goddess of death and destruction... Strangely enough, I really dislike this piece. The story from the past in several few episodes is really nice, but the bulk is about a single dumb swordsman and some acquaintances, and it's too boring.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Weiß Kreuz Knight Hunters Weiß kreuz　ヴァイス　クロイツ [Plum, Magic Bus] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Shounen Action, Drama  Aya, Youji, Ken, and Omi are the four young men who comprise Weiss Kreuz (WK), an assassin group that eliminates certain menaces to society. Each member has his own trademark fighting style. Aya is adept at fighting with a katana, Youji has mastered the art of strangulation via strings, Ken is lethal with his metal claws, while Omi specializes in a wide array of projectiles. Under the command of a mysterious man known only as "Persia", the WK is dispatched to take care of drug rings, terrorist factions, and the like. But as things go along, they discover that most, if not all, the bad elements they have dealt with are somehow connected to the Takatori family. The Takatori family is rich, powerful, and influential. It seems if the problem is to be nipped in the bud, the WK would have to put an end to one of Japan's most prominent clans. Horrible anime that only cares about revealing personality of pretty boys .   Overall Rating: 4/10   8. Lost Universe ロスト・ユニバース [E&G Films] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Shounen Space Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi Millie Nocturne has one great goal in life: to be the best in the universe - at absolutely everything! But when she tries her hand at being the "best detective," she ends up an unwilling partner with two people who will change her life forever: Kane Blueriver, the psi-blade-wielding master of the starship Swordbreaker, and Canal, the smart-mouthed holographic image of the ship's computer. Join this unlikely trio on their adventures as they hurtle through space facing off against intergalactic crime lords, rogue starships, and hijackers dressed as chickens... and that's just the tip of the asteroid! However you look at it, it's Slayers imitation - the similarities are just striking. I never considered Slayers masterpiece, so it's easy for me - no imitation can surpass that as well. I can't stand the goofy flow itself, so even stronger tilt towards story does not help.   Overall Rating: 6/10   9. Silent Möbius サイレントメビウス [Radix] (Finished 6/26) Tags: Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi  The year is 2023 and Alien Beings known as "Lucifer Hawks" have begun invading earth from another dimension. All that stands between them and the enslavement of the human race is the Attacked Mystification Police Department - a special division of the Tokyo Police staffed by women with amazing paranormal abilities. If I try to find something similar that aired before, the closest parallel is Bubblegum Crisis. Main difference now is more mature characters and bigger focus on personalities, overall more serious development which is a big plus. It feels like a skillfully done constructor with many good pieces gathered together. And I don't enjoy it. The reason is pretty simple - it's synopsis-centered episodic show. Let's build a world and watch characters live in it in directed way so that it does not look boring. There is a bit of development constantly so that it does not become monster of the week. The only way to like this show that I see is to end up liking some characters so much that watching it all stops being a chore. Nothing like that happened for me over six episodes. No magic in it, only habitual tropes.   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Neo Ranga 南海奇皇ネオランガ [Pierrot] (Finished 6/48) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Horror An ancient God called Ranga awakens on an isolated island in the South Pacific where it has been slumbering forgotten by mankind. Three sisters living in Tokyo—Minami, Ushio, and Yuuhi Shimabara—discover they have inherited this Island Kingdom, along with the huge God. When Ranga shows up in Tokyo, it soon becomes a source of wonder and conflict for the three sisters that control Ranga, the people who want to destroy it, and ones who want to use it. That's why I don't like small length episode series. 48 half-length episodes technically make a normal 24-episode series, but with such format there is usually a focus on one thing, so it's a natural playground for experiments. And Neo Ranga is totally experimental , it tries to be comedy with surreal elements, namely animated giant mecha. And I say "tries", because I don't find it funny in the least. So without a coherent story or concentrated humor it's just another weird niche work to seek some sense into.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Legend of Basara  [KSS] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Shoujo Adventure, Drama, Romance In a small village, twins are born: a boy, Tatara, and a girl, Sarasa. The prophet Nagi declares that Tatara is the chosen one who will free Japan from the tyrannical rule of the King and his four sons. But when the ruthless Red King slays Tatara, Sarasa must take on her brother's name and responsibilities and embark on a quest to free Japan and deliver vengeance to the Red King. Fantasy shoujo with a lot of bishounens and so many genre stamps and tactical impotence that it irritated me too much .   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Princess Nine: Kisaragi Joshikou Yakyuubu Princess Nine [Phoenix Entertainment] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Drama, Romance, Sports  Keiko Himuro, Chairman of the Kisuragi School, puts together an all-girl baseball team led by Ryo Hayakawa, daughter of a legendary pitcher, in hopes of proving that girls can compete just as well as boys. Their goal: Koshien Stadium, where only the best teams get the opportunity to play. Another nice spokon constructor with nice visuals and nine girls as a treat. The flow is good and the only stupidity noticed is miss Butterfly from Ace wo Nerae as main tennis rival with only repainted hair color. There's a mix of different sports and enough time for nine girls bonding, but I could not enjoy a spokon, nothing I can do about it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Mahou no Stage Fancy Lala Magical Stage Fancy Lala 魔法のステージ・ファンシーララ [Pierrot] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Idols (Female), Mahou Shoujo, Music Comedy, Drama, Romance Miho Shinohara is a care-free third-grader and an aspiring manga artist. One day, she encounters Mogu and Pigu - two lost fairies disguised as stuffed animals. In exchange for staying at her home until they find a way to return to their own world, the fairies give Miho a special sketch pad and pencil that enable her to magically create real objects from what she draws. With the pen, Miho can also transform into Lala, a beautiful teenage girl created from her manga art. As Lala, she is discovered by a talent agency, and so begins her adventures from an ordinary school girl to a model to an idol singer. Wow, so many references in the synopsis, main ones are Aka-chan no Himitsu and Pretty Sammy. That's a too childish shoujo no matter how I look at it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   14. Brain Powerd ブレンパワード  [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi In the not so distant future much of the earth has been submerged under the sea or destroyed by earthquakes. At the center of the turmoil is the mysterious Orphan. Orphan may or may not be the original cause of the cataclysms. Orphan's goal is to raise a ship hidden deep beneath the sea to the surface, but doing so would result in the destruction of all humans except for the small number which are loyal to Orphan. Orphan's agents pilot mysterious mecha known as Grand Cheres, and search the world for mysterious, giant disks which occasionally appear, flying at high speeds and wrecking much of the countryside, or cities, when they hit the ground. After a dying disc almost kills Hime, a Brain Powerd is born from the disc. Brain Powerds are another type of Mecha, similar to but not the same as Grand Cheres. Hime becomes the Brain Powerd's pilot, forming a symbiotic relationship with the living mecha and joins an International Organization dedicated to stopping Orphan, or at the very least saving humanity should Orphan succeed. A very chaotic and unenthusiastic mecha that seems to look up to Evangelion. Too much cringe to bear.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Akihabara Dennou-gumi Cyber Team in Akihabara アキハバラ電脳組 [Production Reed] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shoujo Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi A "patapi" is a cute mechanical creature which is like a cyber pet. It can eat, sleep, play, and even help out its owners with some stuff. When Hibari Hanakoganei receives a patapi from a prince in her dreams, she is thrilled and names it "Densuke". When mysterious forces try to steal Densuke, Hibari discovers that Densuke is not just an ordinary patapi. Densuke has magical powers that allows it to transform into a powerful cyber-fighter who looks like Hibari. Hibari's friends also receive similar patapis, and together they form the Cyber Team in Akihabara. It's a weird Sailor Moon imitation with focus on ecchi. There's even Takusedo Mask that looks exactly the same. Art style is edgy, so it's not even cute.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. Jikuu Tenshou Nazca Dimension Movement of Nazca 時空転抄ナスカ [Radix] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Reincarnation Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy Miura Kyoji, a dedicated kendo student, discovers that his shisho (master) Tate Masanari is a reincarnated Incan warrior named Yawaru who wishes to destroy the world to purify it. Kyoji himself is the warrior Bilka, who foiled Yawaru's plans in their previous lives. Yawaru gathers other awakened spirits to release the powers of nature. Now Kyoji must wrestle with his own fate and decide if he is merely a vessel for the reincarnated soul or if he is truly Miura Kyoji and which will be better able to save the world and the future as he knows it. Basically, it's a set of meeting and fights, but since story is miniscule as much as possible time is spent on side characters and past life circumstances.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Android Ana Maico 2010 Android Announcer Maico 2010 アンドロイド・アナ　MAICO ２０１０ [Group TAC, Animaruya] (Finished 6/24) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Showbiz, Workplace Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi In the year 2010, the Japanese radio industry is in decline. To reverse their flagging ratings, a station staffed with perennial losers makes a daring gamble: to hire the industry's first android on-air host. Maico is cute, but it will take more than novelty to win over the fickle audience -- especially with a crew as inept as this one. Another half-episode length work that I forgot to take out. Just episodic stories during radio broadcast led by android , often concerning some malfunction. Humor did not fit me, but it's easy to watch.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Sentimental Journey センチメンタルジャーニー [Sunrise] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Drama, Romance  Sentimental Journey is a collection of twelve short stories about twelve different girls. Though unrelated, there is one common theme that binds the episodes together: each girl's bittersweet experience of first love. Everything that has sentimental in title is treated with prejudice by me. As expected, it's separate stories with focus on imprinting visual and audial images. Packed with all the emotional nostalgy crap you can imagine.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Beast Wars Second Chou Seimeitai Transformers ビーストウォーズⅡ（セカンド） 超生命体トランスフォーマー  [Production Reed] (Finished 3/43) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi Beast Wars Second features a new cast of characters set many years in the future, who travel to a post apocalyptic Earth now known as the planet Gaia. The Cybertrons, led by Lio Convoy, are sent to the planet to investigate an unusual change in the planet’s behavior and thus thwart the Destrons, led by Galvatron, who seek to consume the planet’s rich source of energy called Angolmois. Childish mecha with very primitive humor, still humor in mecha is rare.   Overall Rating: 4/10   20. Grander Musashi RV グランダー武蔵ＲＶ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Adventure, Sports  Sequel to Grander Musashi. A young but experienced fisherman named Musashi Kazama and his two friends travel around the world in search of seven mysterious objects of fantastic power called "Legenders", each one in the form of a fish. Legenders are said to grant anyone who catches them the power to change the world. Unfortunately, Musashi ends up competing with several other fishermen who share his ambition of capturing a Legender. Missed the prequel as it was marked for kids, anyway, I consider sequel to be for kids as well. Need to have at least some affinity towards fishing to like it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. DT Eightron ＤＴエイトロン [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Action, Sci-Fi Shu is from Datania, a country that makes young children work. He and his friends were trying to escape when they met the Returners. The Returners are some kind of rebels to Datania. Shu goes with the Returners to fight Zero, Nines, and his men who are after DT, a special substance inside humans. Watched it before as a run through all dystopia anime. Sadly, it inherits the problem of all old anime - with 26+ episodes scale there are a lot of moves that don't advance the story or that can be considered fillers - a shorter format would be appreciated here . But besides that it has dystopia with unique feeling and a lot of different cool characters that are interesting to watch interacting. I was really interested in where this all was going, so kept watching. The turning point between partial boredom and sincere interest for me probably was episode 8 when story got bigger scale as a lot more allies showed up. After that it's just a travel show with pursuit around a post-apocalyptical world. There are very atmospheric settlements on the way, There's also this mystery of Eightron that does not follow owner's commands and behaves in seemingly in irrational ways each time. It would be totally understandable to skip travelling part and get from episode 8-9 straight to episode 24 if you only want the main story. Still with this constant beating around the bush can't call it a masterpiece in current 26 episode state. It feels that there's no decent source material behind it all even though I watched it fully twice now. It's a good level for improvisation, but with such loose concept it's just pointless.   Overall Rating: 6/10   22. Alice SOS アリスＳＯＳ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/28) Tags: Adventure  Takashi loves reading books and especially loves "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". One day, he buys some used books, and he finds one book thrown in. When Takashi opens the book, "the God of Math" M-1 appeared. Takashi is told that Alice is kidnapped, and he's asked to rescue her by M-1. And Takashi goes on an adventure in Wonderland to rescue Alice. Not translated. Concept is laughable, but it does not say much about contents. First of all, graphics are simple and resemble sketches at times. Situations are random and often absurd. Humor is below average, as for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Nessa no Haou Gandalla Gandalla: The King of Burning Desert 熱沙の覇王ガンダーラ [Production Reed] (Finished 6/26) Tags: Music Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Supernatural A dispute between young band members and an unfortunate choice of melody inadverdently draws them all into the demonic horror known as the desert-god Gandalla. Only two episodes have English subs, others are available in French that I'm proficient in. It takes a while to understand the concept as the beginning is all about musical band internal squabbles. 6th episode is the first one that focuses on nomad in the deserts who first encountered the Ctulchu, but it all develops so slowly that you'll get bored much faster .   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. YAT Anshin! Uchuu Ryokou 2 ＹＡＴ　安心！宇宙旅行 2 [Group TAC] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi The space traveling company, YAT, is thrown into the unknown realms of the outer space. At the same time, the group encounters the psychic, Maron, and scientist, Note. Subsequently, the two of them are attacked by the evil monarch, Ganon. Note was captured and taken away after suffering an attack from one of Ganon's followers, Baras. In order to rescue Note, the group had to use the instantaneous portable machine which Note invented so as to travel to Ganon's planet. However, no one knows where the planet is... Not translated. Only for prequel fans.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. Himitsu no Akko-chan 3 ひみつのアッコちゃん 第３期 [Toei Animation] (Finished 0/44) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, School  In the Kagami household, the old Western palm-sized mirror has been passed from from generations to generations. Akko-chan has been taught about the importance of the mirror and when she finally receives it from her mother, she cherishes it with all her might. One day, in the midst of a disturbance made by Taishou and his gang, Akko-chan accidentally broke the mirror. She made a grave and buried the broken pieces in the backyard. That night, Akko-chan was awakened by a flash of light and a kind voice which belongs to the Queen of the Mirror Kingdom. The Queen expresses her gratitude to Akko-chan for valuing the mirror so much and offers her a gift—a magical compact mirror. Whenever Akko-chan sings the magical words, she will transform into anything she wants. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   26. Ginga Hyouryuu Vifam 13 銀河漂流バイファム13 [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi On July 27 1996, Mr. Takeyuki Kanda died suddenly at the age of 52. Born August 11 1943, he was known as the director of several animations including VIFAM. Thus in 1998 a new TV series of VIFAM was broadcasted in memory of him. Televised 1998/3/21-1998/10/3 (in Kansai area), it contains 26 episodes, and like Twelve people disappeared it is a sidestory, but some new features are added: new persons, new RV, etc. The story could be inserted between #22 and #26 (#24 and #25 are digests) of VIFAM, and is divided into three parts: Act I (#1-14), Interlude (#15-18), Act II (#19-26), if we name them (in reality Act I and II have little relationship). It could also be the New Testament, but it is now regarded as an apocrypha (or worse, a pseudo-VIFAM). There are several reasons to say so, but to watch the story is the best way to understand them. Not translated. Original story was not good enough even in the 1980. Additional story with the same characters is only for those who did not have enough of Vifam.   Overall Rating: 6/10   27. Takoyaki Mant-Man Takoyaki Capeman たこやきマントマン [Pierrot] (Finished 0/77) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi  In order to protect the earth from the aliens, the god of Takoyaki created the five warriors of justice, Takoyaki Mantle Man. They risk their lives for justice. Takoyaki Mantle Man has round face, and wear a white cape and octopus belt as their symbol. Red is a leader whose special attack is Pickled Ginger Clash. Green is an energetic and hasty boy whose special attack is Green Onion Nunchaku. Pink is a precocious girl whose special attack is Okaka Flash. Blue is a sweet crybaby whose special attack is Seaweed Buster. Yellow is a cheerful boy whose special attack is Tenkasu Beam. Takoyaki Mantle Man is cute and strong heroic characters, friendly to children. Their enemies are too silly to hate. It is a very lively and amusing story. Not found. It's super childish anyway.   Overall Rating: 0/10   28. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 [Ajia-Do] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Seinen Iyashikei Sci-Fi, Slice of Life SAfter a disaster leaves the world in a state of decline, the remaining human population lives out their lives peacefully and quietly in the twilight of the human age. Alpha Hatsuseno is an android who works at a cafe bordering Yokohama that rarely gets visitors, and is waiting for her owner to return. One day, another android, the courier Kokone Takatsu, brings Alpha a package from her master. Inside is a camera, given to Alpha so she can take pictures to reminisce about. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is a slow and contemplative anime that follows an android girl as she takes beautiful pictures and experiences touching moments, all amidst a calming sense of peace. Managed to watch it in the past, but now I'm too cynical to fall for the set traps. Can't see any value in it now, just lasting SOL with painfully long still scenes.   Overall Rating: 6/10   29. Golgo 13: Queen Bee ゴルゴ１３　ＱＵＥＥＮ　ＢＥＥ [Tezuka Productions, Filmlink International] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Military Action, Adventure, Drama Master assassin Golgo 13 is hired by the advisor of presidential candidate Robert Hardy to assassinate "Queen Bee," the beautiful and deadly leader of a South American guerilla army. Golgo, however, finds this job too easy and digs further information to find out the true connection between Hardy and Queen Bee. First movie was only visually prominent as it consisted of constant action. As for me, this one is better as it states Golgo principles better, there are many notable characters and some kind of story. Still nothing prominent.   Overall Rating: 6/10   30. Queen Emeraldas クィーン・エメラルダス [OLM] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Space Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi The story revolves around a race that seeks to dominate the galaxy. A lone mysterious female warrior, known to others as Emeraldas sails the endless planets of the universe- in her Seas of Star ship- fighting the tyranny of that merciless race. She is tormented by the memory of her lost love. Even in OVA that is titled Queen Esmeraldas protagonist is the usual for Matsumoto lost in repetitions brat , and Emeraldas just happens to be around to save him each time. It irritated me even more than usual.   Overall Rating: 5/10   31. Yume de Aetara If I See You in My Dreams 夢で逢えたら [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Drama, Romance, Ecchi Yume de Aetara is a story about one guy Fuguno Masuo (a complete loser when it comes to relationship with women) and two girls: Shiozaki Nagisa and Hamaoka Miho. Since the story is pretty simple (and hilariously funny), further explanation will spoil everything (take the hint: watch it yourself!) Two virgins awkward love story. Of course it becomes the usual gag comedy about love triangles very soon, and both loners instantly become super popular... just because. You've seen one such show - you've seen them all.   Overall Rating: 6/10   32. Kyoukasho ni Nai! Very Private Lesson 教科書にないッ! [AIC] (Finished 2/2) Tags: School Comedy, Romance, Ecchi Oraku is a lucky man. He has a comfortable job teaching at a local High School. He has Satsuki, a fellow teacher whom he hopes to marry someday. He has Aya, a beautiful student who has fallen in love with him. He has Aya's father, a wealthy man who wants so much for his little girl to be happy that he has sent her to live with Oraku. Oraku is a very lucky man. Of course Aya loves nothing more than to come on to Oraku by lounging around his apartment half naked. Unfortunately for Oraku, Aya's father happens to be wealthy because he is a major crime boss, and he will have Oraku slowly murdered if Aya doesn't remain absolutely pure. Now Oraku must not only restrain himself, but also protect Aya from the hordes of men and woman at school who'd love to get their hands on her body. And of course, if Satsuki or any of the other teachers find out that Oraku is living with one of his students, he will be permanently dismissed from the teaching profession! Oh yes Oraku is lucky... It's yet another story of a pushy girl getting to live together with a guy, only pretexts differ each time. Again, there would be little novelty if similar OVA is seen already. The novelty is that there is time for school bullying which is taken here way too lightly that it should have been, the same goes for kidnapping. But at least it can be used for obligatory protection action in the finale. I've seen better versions of this story.   Overall Rating: 5/10   33. Geobreeders: File-X Chibi Neko Dakkan Geobreeders: (File-X) Get Back The Kitty ジオブリーダーズ　File-X　ちびねこ奪還 [Chaos Project] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural Taba and the Girls of Kagura Total Security Inc. specialize in jobs where their enemy are "Phantom Cats". They have a few run ins with the various Government agencies, as well as a gang of Phantom Cats; blowing up a lot of stuff along the way. When one of their own is kidnapped, they have to get her back. One episode to show how agency acts, one to get acquainted with the rest of the team and finish another case, one for actual teammate rescue. Thanks to clear structure, action tempo is good, but I fail to find anything worthy of notice here - just another action with fanservice and supposed comedy.   Overall Rating: 5/10   34. Psychic Force サイキック フォース [Triangle Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Super Power Action, Sci-Fi There are two kinds of people in the world, normal and psychics. Psychics are rare, powerful and feared. Burn Griffith met and befriended one of them, Keith Evans, two years ago. Now he has been looking for his friend, but when he finally succeeds, something's not right. The world has changed, and so has Keith. Game adaptations are usually so-so, psychics make everything worse, so result was foreseeable. Add a lot of confusion and jumping narration, and a headache is ensured.   Overall Rating: 5/10   35. Seishoujo Kantai Virgin Fleet Virgin Fleet 聖少女艦隊バージンフリート [AIC] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Military, School Fantasy, Sci-Fi In the pre-WWII era, Nakano Naval Academy's special school for girls is codenamed "Virgin Fleet". These girls are gifted with a special form of power known as "Virgin Energy". With the fear of another Russo-Japanese war imminent, rookie pilot Shiokaze Umino must hone her powers to save Japan from complete destruction. So that's why Russo-Japanese was won... Execution is also hectic. Let's just forget it existed...   Overall Rating: 4/10   36. Shin Otokogi 新・男樹 [-] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Seinen Organized Crime - Not translated. Yakuza stories rarely get continuations, but this one was different from the start because of the scale - aim was to rule criminal world nation-wide. Cruel and absolutely unbending, even in prison. Prison episode reminds Ashita no Joe movie , so quite all right .   Overall Rating: 6/10   37. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 06: Dengeki! Buta no Hizume Daisakusen 映画 クレヨンしんちゃん　電撃！ブタのヒヅメ大作戦 [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen School Comedy, Slice of Life, Ecchi A full-scale action film with tastes of the "'007" series and Jackie Chan's movies. The members of the secret organization for world peace 'SML', code-named 'Oiroke' (sexual attractiveness) and 'Kinniku' (muscle), who join hands with the Nohara family and Kasukabe Defense Forces (Shinnosuke Nohara and his mates: Kazama-kun, Nene-chan, Masao-kun and Bo-chan), and fight against the evil organization 'Buta no Hizume' (Pig's Hoof), who tries to conquer the world by using a computer virus. I was starting to lose hope in Shin-Chan movies, but this one is again on a decent level. Trashy, with toilet humor , puns and poor karaoke - everything is as we like it. Still can't call it a masterpiece level.   Overall Rating: 6/10   38. Totsuzen! Neko no Kuni Banipal Witt Catnapped とつぜん！猫の国　バニパルウィット [Triangle Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure  Fifth-grader, Toriyasu, and his little sister, Meeko, have a dog named Papadoll who has been missing for the past week. One night, two cats take the two children to the distant cat land of Banipal Witt, where Papadoll was abducted. Because of his long exposure to Banipal Witt's sun, Papadoll mutated into a giant dog monster, terrorizing the city under the control of the evil Princess Buburina, who has the curse of turning anyone she touches into balloons. Toriyasu, Meeko, and the cats have until the next sunrise to turn Papadoll and the ballooned citizens of Banipal Witt back to normal and return to their home planet—or end up with the same fate as their dog. It's a movie for children. Maybe it's not as cheezy as usual and contains some violence , but it does not change the fact.   Overall Rating: 6/10   39. Rennyo Monogatari 蓮如物語 [Toei Animation] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Historical Drama  A dramatization based on the novel "The Story of Rennyo" by Hiroyuki Itsuki. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   40. Mofa Ya Ma Grandma and Her Ghosts 魔法亞媽 [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy  The seventh lunar month in the Chinese calendar is the ghost month. DouDou goes to stay with Grandma on the lunar 1st of July, the day the host gate is opened. Grandma performs Taoist ceremonies for the deceased and communicates with ghosts. One day, DouDou accidentally lets the devil out of an urn. The devil possesses a sleepy house cat and tells DouDou that he can see invisible friends by applying Grandma's tears into his eye-lid. Little does DouDou know that this is part of the devil's plot to eat all of the ghosts. It's in Chinese with subs . It's about different ghosts who both grandma and kid can see. It looks up to Studio Ghibli. Not bad overall, but of topic I seriously hate.   Overall Rating: 5/10   41. Cowboy Bebop: Yose Atsume Blues Cowboy Bebop: Session XX - Mish-Mash Blues カウボーイビバップ よせあつめブルース [Sunrise] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adult Cast, Space Sci-Fi Due to the violence portrayed in the Cowboy Bebop world and violence in Japanese schools, the series was briefly cancelled and an extra session was created as a final episode to the first thirteen episodes aired. Called "Session XX: Mish-Mash Blues," a compilation of clips from previous episodes, it aired on June 26, 1998 on TV Tokyo. The episode was never released on DVD. In it, the characters provide a philosophical commentary and end with the words: This Is Not The End. You Will See The Real "Cowboy Bebop" Someday! A very short mashup of citations being commented on. Ok'ish , but definitely not something outstanding.   Overall Rating: 6/10
  8. kivandopulus
    The only masterpiece discovered is Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou   1. Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou His and Her Circumstances 彼氏彼女の事情 [Gainax, J.C.Staff] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Shoujo School Comedy, Drama, Romance  Yukino Miyazawa is the female representative for her class and the most popular girl among the freshmen at her high school. Good at both academics and sports on top of being elegant and sociable, she has been an object of admiration all her life. However, in reality, she is an incredibly vain person who toils relentlessly to maintain her good grades, athleticism, and graceful appearance. She wants nothing more than to be the center of attention and praise—which is why she cannot stand Souichirou Arima, the male representative for her class and the only person more perfect than her. Since the first day of high school, she has struggled to steal the spotlight from her new rival but to no avail. At last, on the midterm exams, Yukino gets the top score and beats Souichirou. But, to her surprise, he congratulates her on her achievement, leading her to question her deceptive lifestyle. When Souichirou confesses his love to Yukino, she turns him down and gloats about it at home with only a hint of regret. But the very next day, Souichirou visits Yukino house to bring her a CD and sees her uninhibited self in action; now equipped with the truth, he blackmails her into completing his student council duties. Coerced into spending time with Souichirou, Yukino learns that she is not the only one hiding secrets. Again Gainax breaks into new genre and shows how it can be done basically underlining primitiveness of all previous Shojo. Of course, manga has a different author, but still it's the first truly psychological shoujo anime. Always considered His and Her circumstances a masterpiece, but only a minor one, not for wide recommendation, due to several shortcomings. As usual for older anime, I'd much appreciate a shorter 13-episode version with mostly main story and without half-filler episodes about side characters that come and go and that I can't start caring about. Romance story does not really need good visuals or backgrounds, but of course priority in recommendation would be to more visually advanced titles like Kaichou wa Maid-sama. Considered that Gainax did the similar trick with ending episode as in Evangelion series, my honest evaluation is still closer to 7.   Overall Rating: 7/10   2. Majutsushi Orphen Orphen 魔術士オーフェン [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Mythology Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Six years ago at the magic school known as the Tower of Fang, a grave accident happened involving the magical sword Baltanders and the magic user Azalie. Unable to control the sword's power, Azalie was transformed into the shape of a great dragon who since that day became known as Bloody August. Krilancelo, a young magician at the Tower who cared greatly for Azalie found much to his disgust that the elders of the Tower of Fang were less than willing to save Azalie and wanted rather to pretend the accident never happened. Angered by their stand, Krilanceloa swore that he would find a way to return Azalie to her former self. Thus he forsook the name Krilancelo and declared himself Orphen, leaving the Tower and his magical studies behind to wander the world... Turns out I watched 2020 remake and liked it for being a concentrated short story that did not beat around the bush. What we face here now is double that size , plus same amount later in sequel for new adventure with adjusted team. This version is for those who get to like characters and their interactions with more details and more loose tempo, thus not for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 バブルガムクライシス TOKYO2040 [AIC] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Adult Cast, Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi After a mysterious eathquake levels Tokyo, Genom becomes a powerful influence providing their artificial organic lifeforms called Boomers to rebuild and act as a labor class to humanity. However, some of them ocasionally run amok, and even the specially created AD Police are at a loss to stop them. Lina Yamazaki travels to Tokyo for employment but also hopes to join a vigilante force called the Knight Sabers, who pilot powered suits to destroy these rogue Boomers. After all previous OVA I can't take it too seriously. Series becomes double of Silent Mobius as there is more interaction between better developed characters, but incidents just spark here and there without big pattern. It's finally Bubblegum Crisis version that's good enough, but I don't like the concept itself of melee cybersuit Sabers pursuing androids who go crazy because of tarnished pride or something and turning into some half-biological beasts... it's just too simple and unserious.    Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Master Keaton マスターキートン [Madhouse] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Historical Adventure, Drama, Mystery The amazing Taichi Keaton works on cases around the globe that always lead to adventure! He combines his arsenal of multidisciplinary expertise in investigation, archeology, and survival with his experience as a professor, a Falklands Conflict veteran and a SAS agent to unravel the often dangerous challenges in each riveting episode. It's somewhat difficult to explain. Basically, master Keaton is a former intelligence agent excelling at everything at all, and now he is an insurance investigator. Sometimes it's more of detective work, sometimes more of fighting, but the concept is such that his brilliant insight every time puts everyone to shame and gives brilliant results. I seriously dislike such episodic pseudo-detective stories.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Devilman Lady The Devil Lady デビルマンレディー [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Psychological Action, Drama, Horror Fudo Jun is a beautiful supermodel who is idolized by many. She also has a dark secret that not even she knows about at first, for within her veins run the genes that hold the next step in the evolution of mankind. The same blood as the beastlike superhumans that terrorize the city. Unlike the rest of them, though, Jun has managed to hold a tenuous grip onto her humanity, and she is recruited by the mysterious Asuka Ran, member of a secret organization within the government, aimed at controlling, if not eliminating, these berserk destroyers of mankind. Jun, as Devilman Lady, must now exterminate her own kind, but how much longer can she keep her sanity in a situation she never chose in the first place? Let's speak honestly, manga discerning feature was sexualization and shock. With it all torn out in anime the result is rather usual for half-beast protagonist. There's nothing special about it now, just habitual monster of the week.   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Gasaraki ガサラキ [Sunrise] (Finished 7/25) Tags: Drama, Supernatural Mecha, Military, Psychological The flames of war explode in the Middle East as two shadow forces unleash monstrous new weapons of mass destruction! But in a world in which giant robots are real, the most dangerous weapon of all lies buried within a human mind. Yuushirou, the fourth son of the mysterious and powerful Gouwa family, finds himself at the center of events that will change the future of mankind forever! Nothing can prepare the human race for what is about to be unleashed in Gasaraki! What always irritated me in Gundam was initial flaw in world and nature of confrontation as same looking people speaking same language never even discussed the idea of negotiation. I see Gasaraki as an attempt to launch Gundams in the more realistic world with complex relations between many groups. Patlabor movie might be another inspiration, but watching a one and half hour movie is one thing and watching a 9-hour 25-episode series is a totally different one. By the end of 7th episode nothing has even started yet besides short initial clash and another potential clash drawing out slowly. Tempo is absolutely horrible. There's a huge number of characters, but with too many shifts the supposed team of protagonists is showed a very small percentage of screen time and it's usually just going somewhere or doing nothing. Gasaraki revived Sunrise concept with same flow as usual - show same looking people in same looking uniforms , and fans will cut through everything to learn the story. The problem is that story is not that interesting to know in first place , and taking away focus from one team does more harm than good. Make it interesting or don't make at all. A rare bore as a result .   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Saber Marionette J to X セイバーマリオネットJ to X [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Harem, Mecha Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Taking place mere months after the Saber Marionette J OVA series, this newest installment in the Saber Marionette line follows the continuing adventures of Otaru and his clan of selfless, obsessive marionette girls. This time, the evil Faust is back, and again toying with Marionette technology that was never meant to be explored. The Saber Dolls are back, and torn between their newfound love for Otaru and their undying loyalty to Faust; Will Otaru, Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry be able to stop Faust again, or are they all headed for the scrap heap? Finally last nail in this series. It manages to get even worse each time.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Generator Gawl ジェネレイターガウル [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 4/12) Tags: Time Travel Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi Ryo, Gawl and Koji are 3 young boys who travel back into the past with only 1 objective: change history. In their time they discover that their country, Kubere, uses genetically enhanced persons called generators as a military tool. These generators are the cause for the Third War which kills most of the human population. Now Koji, Ryo and Gawl are there to change all the events. Finally stories start to adapt to shorter format, because with enough competition continuation or not should be decided upon afterwards by impression and not taken for granted. The flow is mostly about SOL at school and boarding house of three male travelers from future and some girls around them. Of course the main science line of preventing future war is also threading with occasional clashes. As it usually comes, it's interesting enough, but not super interesting. It's easy to finish thanks to short format, but masterpieces are not given for pacing...   Overall Rating: 6/10   9. Jikuu Tantei Genshi-kun Flint the Time Detective 時空探偵ゲンシクン [Group TAC] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Shounen Time Travel Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi It is the 25th century. The dark lord has 'infected' history with time-devices that could damage history beyond repair. Genshi and his father lived in the prehistorics when they got turned into fossiles. They are discovered and Genshi gets turned back to his original state. With the help of his father, a boy Tony and a girl Sara he has to travel trough time to bring the time-devices back to the land of time so history will be saved. Glad to find it not that absurd as it seemed to be, but it's rather childish indeed. Concept is actually exactly that of Time Bokan series, only for kids.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Mamotte Shugogetten! Protect Me, Heavenly Moon Guardian! まもって守護月天！ [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/22) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Fantasy, Romance  Tasuke Shichiri is the envy of his friends because since his parents are always traveling he can do as he pleases. It's a surprise present from his father that keeps him from being lonely: an odd ring known as the shitenrin. From it comes a moon goddess named Shaorin, dedicated to protecting her "master" -- no matter how much of a mess she makes doing it! Overprotective spirit usually destroys entire buildings to protect master. Of course, rival magician girl shows up as early as episode 2. There has been no shortage of such plots since Urusei Yatsura, and since there's nothing outstanding this time... futsu...   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Kurogane Communication 鉄コミュニケイション  [APPP] (Finished 4/24) Tags: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi  In the aftermath of a great and terrible war, Haruka finds herself the last surviving human on Earth. Though humanity may have been wiped out, she is not entirely alone. Advanced robots have survived the apocalypse, and Haruka lives with five who care for her: Spike, a boyish android who is very attached to her; Trigger, hot-tempered with a penchant for firearms; Cleric, the intelligent problem solver; Reeves, whose thoughtfulness overshadows his intimidating appearance; and Angela, a sword wielding recluse with an aversion towards humans. Residing in a high-rise building at the center of the city, Haruka lives a relatively peaceful life with her mechanical family. However, her life is far from a stable one. Not only is a lack of resources a concern, but violent, remnant robots from the war roam free, ready to destroy whomever they meet. Kurogane Communication follows Haruka as she tries to survive in an apocalyptic world while facing many dangers that will challenge her daily life. 15-minutes episodes about sole survivor SOL with robots. And if you imagine some super cool robots, best tone down expectations and just imagine normal boring robots of different specializations and forms. Basically, it lacks everything to be interesting.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Eat-Man '98 イートマン `98 [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen Super Power Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi The continuing adventures of Bolt Crank, the World's Greatest Mercenary, who has the ability to eat any object, mostly metal and weapons. When the time comes, Bolt can then reproduce those weapons and items in his right hand. It's obvious that Eat-Man is not going to change from episodic futuristic show about discrete cool stories. But there are many longer stories now, so overall number is just 6. Everything else is within expectations range.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Chousoku Spinner Super YoYo 超速スピナー [Xebec] (Finished 3/22) Tags: Shounen Sports  Despite being talented in various sports, Shunichi Domoto is not passionate about any of them in particular—that is, until he discovers the world of competitive yo-yo. It all begins when Shunichi's friend, Beso Kimura, loses his yo-yo in a duel against the school bully, Benkei Musashimaru. Albeit inexperienced, Shunichi eventually agrees to help Beso retrieve his yo-yo. After practicing for three days, Shunichi challenges and unexpectedly defeats the relatively skilled Benkei. Shunichi's win instills the belief that the yo-yo is easy to master, and that he is ultimately able to easily master anything he puts his mind to. However, after losing to the exceptionally gifted yo-yo player Seito Hojoin, Shinichi finds his ego shattered. As the humiliating loss ignites a spark in Shunichi, he decides to surpass Seito in Japan's national Yo-yo Championship! Merchandise spokon shounen for children - four misses out of four , regarding my tastes. It's too unserious and irritation to even start caring about.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Yoiko よいこ [Pierrot] (Finished 3/20) Tags: School Comedy, Slice of Life, Ecchi Her name is Esumi Fuuka. Standing tall at 163 cm with a slender bodyline, she must be a university undergraduate; however, in reality, she is only an elementary school student. With a body figure of an adult and the mentality of a small child, she creates many misunderstandings around her. Another weird half-length episode series, something that could not run nowadays as it's all about sexual allusions towards elementary school student who also flashes quite a lot. Nothing here but expected pervy humor.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Kaiketsu Jouki Tanteidan Steam Detectives 快傑蒸気探偵団 [Xebec] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Detective, Mecha Action, Mystery The scene is Steam City, a London-ish city which represents an entire civilization run by coal and steam power. Because of steam, the city is sometimes covered in a mist. Villains take advantage of the steamy mist to hide and execute their evil plans. Only a few dare venture into what's beyond the steamy mist. They are known as the Steam Detectives: Narutaki (and his convertible all-purpose pistol), his nurse-assistant Lingling, and his Megamaton robot Gohliki. I can't stand episodic format, steampunk elements and detective activity, so I'm just not the one to be asked opinion here. But if anything, feels super boring and artificial.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. Super Doll Licca-chan スーパードール リカちゃん [Madhouse] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Adventure, Comedy  Licca is in grave danger once she finds out that she is the princess of the Doll Kingdom. Now, the evil Dr. Scarecrow is after her and her throne. So Licca's grandmother gives her a set of dolls. When needed, the dolls will transform into larger versions known as the Doll Knights. Together, they will protect Licca. If you're a kid and like to play dolls imagining to be their princess, maybe... because it's that bad.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Popolocrois Monogatari ポポロクロイス物語 [Bee Train] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy Prince Pietro is the half-human, half-dragon prince of the kingdom of Popolocrois. After the evil GamiGami tries (unsuccessfuly, as ever) to take over the Kingdom, a mysterious girl named Hyuu appears in the forest near Popolocrois Castle, which is the beginning of an adventure for Pietro, his witch friend Narcia, and all their friends. Set following the events of the first Popolocrois game. This anime is too childish to be enjoyed by most adults.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Saint Luminous Jogakuin St. Luminous Mission High School 聖ルミナス女学院 [Triangle Staff] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Psychological Mystery, Supernatural Kaihei is a rather normal high school student but soon discovers that his deceased grandfather has left him the chairman position of his all-girls high school, St. Luminous Mission High School. Besides being the only male student on campus, he is also now the young chairman in charge of campus rules, happenings and punishments. When Kaihei arrives however, it seems a student has gone missing. Kaihei, along with his closest friends, are now determined to solve this mystery (without getting the local police involved) before graduation. Main problem is incapable and indecisive protagonist, so he basically does nothing and hopes for the case to solve itself somehow with time. Not a pleasant sight overall, rather average.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Dokkiri Doctor Startling Doctor どっきりドクター [Pierrot] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Shounen School Comedy Haruka Nishikikoji is an overweight doctor that never seems to attract any girls. Fate finds a way as he lands a job as a doctor in an elementary school, wherein his workplace can be found on top of the schools' roof and the actual clinic looks like a medieval castle. Just when everything seems to go downhill, a surprise came one day, her first love Koizumi Miyuki, applies as her soon to be nurse. Only one episode seems to be translated. It's a goofy comedy, can't say it's special or great or anything.   Overall Rating: 6/10   20. Totsugeki! Pappara-tai Charge! Pappara Team 突撃! パッパラ隊 [Magic Bus] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi An elite soldier, whose nickname is God of Death, is transferred to another unit known as the PaPaRa Army. The PaPaRa Army is infamous for its elite but hilariously crazy members. There is no plot to speak of other than humour, hilarious brutality, and general nonsense. This is also Matsuzawa-sensei's debut work. Not translated. Too much absurdity, as expected. Absolutely not for everyone.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Hanasaka Tenshi Tenten-kun 花さか天使テンテンくん  [Nippon Animation] (Finished 0/43) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Fantasy  A foolish clumsy angel came to the human world to help a very unlucky boy. But more accidents are then created... Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   22. Ao no 6-gou Blue Submarine No. 6 青の6号 [Gonzo] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Military Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi The once famous and well respected scientist Zorndyke has bred a new genre of living being, one that thrives on the oceans and lives to destroy humans. Zorndyke believes it is time that the humans were relieved of their rule of the earth. It is up to Blue Submarine No. 6 and the rest of the Blue fleet to put an end to Zorndyke's madness and creations. Futuristic improvisation on mermaids with wide use of not so refined 3D graphics. As for me, not that good. Some post-apocalypse, some special effects, some pursuit, several monster designs and some peacekeeping. Ending was foreseeable, and without really memorable characters impression gets toned down even further by pretty bad computer graphics.   Overall Rating: 6/10   23. Slayers Excellent スレイヤーズえくせれんと [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mythology Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural In these earlier adventures of Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent, learn how the two rivals first met. In their first adventure, the two rivals meet and run into a vampire during a rescue mission. Next, Lina is hired to be the bodyguard of a rich man's daughter, Sirene. Lina is at first very enthusiastic about it at first, as she is being paid very well, but Sirene keeps spending all of Lina's first half of pay. (She gets the other half later) She puts together a fake kidnapping to teach Sirene a lesson, but when she really gets kidnapped, she must team up with Naga to save her. In the final episode, Lina and Naga find themselves on seperate sides in a fashion war. New portion of Lina-Naga cringe.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Kashou no Tsuki: Aki Kyougen 火宵の月 ~秋狂言~ [Tokyo Kids, Four Some] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shoujo Historical Romance, Supernatural When he was young, Arimasa Tsuchimikado rescued an injured cat and wished for it to become human. The cat, Kagetsu, is actually a member of the shape-shifting Kouga tribe and comes to live with Arimasa. Years later, Arimasa is an uneasy presence in his village. The villagers despise him for being half-fox, but he is also the only one able to protect the village against supernatural invasion. Meanwhile, Kagetsu is going through a difficult period where he must choose which sex he will live the rest of his life as, a process he can only complete through sexual intercourse. As pressure from other members of the Kouga clan opposes the wishes in Kagetsu’s heart, Arimasa's village is struck by a large-scale supernatural attack. With his peaceful life threatened, Arimasa will be forced to make undesirable decisions. I block boys love, but of course it is often not properly marked like in this case. There is not even a single girl here among any somewhat important characters, how could it ever be marked shoujo... There are also evil spirits and lots of ugly abstract painting resulting in a horrible stunt.    Overall Rating: 4/10   25. DNA Sights 999.9 火聖旅団[ファイアーフォース]ダナサイト９９９．９[フォーナイン]  [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi After a meteor hits Earth, traitor forces have (for all intents and purposes) taken over, and the people are suffering. In the chaos, a boy named Tetsuro Daiba, who had lost his parents in the meteor hit, is paid a visit by Mello, a mysterious woman appearing in a bright light. When Daiba comes to, he finds himself in a spaceship infirmary under observation. Stealing a fighter that he didn't know how to pilot (until he tried it), he breaks out, flying like a total pro. He was able to remember how to pilot from his DNA memory... and to find out more, his doctor friend takes him to his secret underground lab, in which he acts as a professor to find out ways to stop the traitor regime. When the forces invade to take him back, a girl named Rei Yuuki mysteriously shoots down their entire carrier with only a fighter jet! Apparently, both have mysterious powers that the enemies want, which may or may not be connected to their being the only two known survivors of the meteor impact. While looking for a third survivor (which turned out to be a cat), the two are taken by force to Queen Photon (ruler of the traitor regime), who claims that she is out to SAVE the Earth from those who sent the Meteor. The two don't know whether to believe her or Mello until the (telepathic) cat breaks them out of the Queen's sealed chamber, and Mello comes to straighten things out. That's when the two (er, three) of them make a choice... Stay on a planet that can't support their advanced race, or strike out into the unknown of space? Another needless super-confusing prequel to something which does not matter , because it's all remade a lot of time since then .   Overall Rating: 5/10   26. Glass no Kamen: Sen no Kamen wo Motsu Shoujo ガラスの仮面～千の仮面を持つ少女～ [Tokyo Movie Shinsha] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shoujo Performing Arts  Drama An OVA depicting the early events of the Glass no Kamen series. Kitajima Maya is a young girl from a poor background with no talents of use to school or her widowed mother. However, she is obsessed with movies, theatrical plays and TV dramas-to the point of remembering every line from a movie she's seen once, and dramatically acting out the stories, including every character, for anyone who will listen. One day, she encounters an old woman with a scarred face who claims that Maya is the girl she's been looking for-for the old woman has spent years protecting the rights to a 'legendary' play. To remake just beginning... why? Anyway, with 2005 full version remake this little thing is obsolete.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Spectral Force スペクトラルフォース [Idea Factory] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Mythology Fantasy In a time when demons rule the world and mankind seeks freedom, human rebels gain control of the demon-slaying sword Tenmaken and attempt to assassinate the Demon King Janus. To preserve the sovereignty of her homeland, the half-human, half-demon Princess Hiro must overcome her deep hatred of the humans or face a war that will ravage the entire world! It's very difficult to make game adaptation right in just 40 minutes... especially if no effort is made in that direction. Horrible directorship, 3D, CGI and animation where it is still used. And every few minutes sword and demon king are show leaving little intrigue. It's too ugly to treat it seriously.   Overall Rating: 4/10   28. Twin Bee Paradise ツインビーPARADISE [Konami, Public & Basic] (Finished 1/4) Tags: Action, Adventure  Pastel ate the cookies Madoka made, and it shrunk her, but because of her condition she couldn't take part in the “Miss Donburi Contest”. To return her to normal, she needed the power-up bell from the clouds. However, a mysterious island floating in the air was absorbing clouds above Donburi Island. When they tried to get power bells back, enemies attacked them suddenly. Would they get back for the contest in time? Only one episode is translated. Just absurd gag comedy around chosen theme.   Overall Rating: 5/10   29. Starlight Scramble Renai Kouhosei スターライトスクランブル 恋愛候補生 [-] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Action, Romance, Sci-Fi In the near future, during the colony war, a girl was saved by a little boy when a space station was attacked by terrorists in which the girl lost her parents. A few years later, the girl joined her grandfather's military school. There she met a young man that looked similar to the boy who saved her... but just when she was prepared to enter the school compound, she sees a 'terrorist' lurking around which is actually a terrorist demo under the school command and so the story begins... Not translated. Mood is rather positive and joking despite terrorist attack, and basically this harem manages to repel the attack in the end. Second episode has a different, yet relating plot. Overall, not bad, but does not catch stars from the sky.     Overall Rating: 6/10   30. Toki no Daichi: Hana no Oukoku no Majo 刻の大地 ～花の王国の魔女～ [Magic Bus] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy  This show is about a group of 3 guys in which 2 are warriors/knights and the other is a kid that loves flowers and monsters that live in that world. So they travel through different towns and explore the world they live in, but one day they find this magician girl that escapes her home because some of her family members want to revive an evil witch so they can control the world with the power of a mythical Dragon and all the other monsters around the area.  Not translated. Main characters in this anime are looking like children , and it's one of the reasons why I can't treat it seriously. Development goes extremely generic and there are quite some irritating factors, so I don't know what to like here.   Overall Rating: 5/10   31. Visitor ビジター [GAGA] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Sci-Fi  In the year 2099, one of NASA's Apollo rocket capsules is found in the Mongolian desert, where it appears to have been for 65 million years. Meanwhile on Mars, a strange black artifact of unknown origins is eating one of the planet's moons. Earth ship Davide is sent to investigate and is sucked into the vortex. Lila Mochizuki and her companions are suddenly a long, long way from home. Not translated. It's fully in ugly CGI of PS1 quality, so I don't consider it anime at all. More of a history artifact.   Overall Rating: 4/10
  9. kivandopulus
    My personal preference goes to .hack//Tasogare no Udewa Densetsu in the absence of masterpieces   1. Wolf's Rain ウルフズレイン  [Bones] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi  In a dying world, there exists an ancient legend: when the world ends, the gateway to paradise will be opened. This utopia is the sole salvation for the remnants of life in this barren land, but the legend also dictates that only wolves can find their way to this mythical realm. Though long thought to be extinct, wolves still exist and live amongst humans, disguising themselves through elaborate illusions. A lone wolf named Kiba finds himself drawn by an intoxicating scent to Freeze City, an impoverished town under the rule of the callous Lord Orkham. Here, Kiba discovers that wolves Hige, Tsume, and Toboe have been drawn in by the same aroma. By following the fragrance of "Lunar Flowers," said to be the key to opening the door to their ideal world, the wolves set off on a journey across desolate landscapes and crumbling cities to find their legendary promised land. However, they are not the only ones seeking paradise, and those with more sinister intentions will do anything in their power to reach it first. An abomination. It's another take on journey to the West in search of some stupid paradise, now wolf edition. It's beautiful all right, but it all consists of three main actions - going, quarrelling among themselves, getting attacked. I often complain about loose middle, but here there's real filler middle as we're shown bad ending and then like 4-5 recap episodes and finally continuation from a point back in time. Total bs, and it's not even interesting to justify all that.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. .hack//Tasogare no Udewa Densetsu .hack//Legend of The Twilight .hack//黄昏の腕輪伝説 [Bee Train] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Shounen Video Game Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Winning the legendary characters "Kite" and "Black Rose" from an event held by the creators of the MMORPG "The World," Shugo and his twin sister Rena steps into "The World." Together they completed events and quests, along with their new friends Ouka, Mirelle, Hotaru, and Sanjuro. Soon after, mysterious monsters appeared, and death by these monsters caused players to slip into a coma in the real world. Only Shugo and Rena can solve this problem, but why are they being targeted, and what secrets is the game hiding? I liked it quite a lot when watched it first time. It's rather simple, but mmorpgs have this charm of simplicity, and it's utilized here good enough. A good niche product, but don't know if it can be called a masterpiece. Still a lot of ideas from here are borrowed by Sword Art Online later.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Bakuten Shoot Beyblade G Revolution 爆転シュート　ベイブレードＧレボリューション [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Sports  After keeping their BitBeasts out of harm's way, a new world championship tournament is announced, but the defending champions can't all be on the same team. Their friendship will be tested and tried as each Bladebreaker goes on a quest to prove why they are the best Beyblader around. Tyson, Max, Ray, Kai, and newcomer Daichi, must keep up their winning ways...even if they must face each other. But, after the tournament is over, what awaits them is an old foe, Boris, taking over the BBA and transforming it into BEGA, the Beyblade Entertainment Global Association. To save Beybladers of the entire world from BEGA's corruption, the Bladebreakers must reunite once again... Gah, these nonsense toy robot battles again.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Ashita no Nadja Tomorrow's Nadja 明日のナージャ [Toei Animation] (Finished 6/50) Tags: Historical Adventure, Drama, Romance This story takes place about one hundred years ago. Nadja is a bright, cheerful girl who was raised in an orphanage near London, England. Nadja was entrusted to the orphanage when she was a baby. So she thought her father and mother were dead. But before her thirteenth birthday, she found out that her mother might be alive.. Nadja sets out on a journey to find her mother! With all of Europe as the stage, Nadja's exciting adventure begins! The pinnacle of what non-psychologically tilt light shoujo can achieve, but I like different type of shoujo.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Mahoutsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto Someday's Dreamers 魔法遣いに大切なこと [J.C.Staff] (Finished 4/12) Tags: Shounen Iyashikei Slice of Life Yume Kikuchi, a girl who can use magic, goes to Tokyo to be an apprentice mage to the handsome Masami Oyamada (a professional mage). In Tokyo, Yume learns about magic, helping people, and various other things on her way to being a mage. But she soon also finds out that even just magic alone isn't enough to make someone truly happy... Drama about something insignificant as for me... morality of using magical powers and bureaucracy around it... and it being so serious about that is laughable.   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Mouse マウス [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen Harem Action, Comedy, Ecchi Teacher Sorata Muon carries on his family's centuries-old old tradition of being the master thief Mouse who can steal anything after properly alerting authorities of his intentions so they can be there yet fail to stop him. He is assisted by 3 nubile female assistants who also use the teaching cover and who, in typical Satoru Akahori, favor tight/skimpy/bondage outfits over their ample curves as they constantly pursue Sorata much more than he pursues them, although the girls do get some attention from their master. Not only is Mouse pursued by the girls & the local law enforcement authorities, there is also a secret art protection society employing the services of a former ally of Sorata's after his pretty little hide, all in 15 minute episodes. Light ecchi about phantom thief who can steal absolutely everything with silly plans and about how it all pulls out greatly each time... no substance, as usual.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Gunparade March: Arata Naru Kougunka Gunparade March: A New Song for the March ガンパレード・マーチ -新たなる行軍歌- [J.C.Staff] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Mecha, Military Action, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi It began in 1945, at the end of the Pacific War. Alien invaders filled the earth's Skies, and mankind was forced to confront an unprecedented threat. For the first time in human history, people of all cultures came together under one banner. This war has now been raging for over fifty years. Countless lives have been lost, and the Japanese military is now forced to rely on young people such as Atsushi Hayami and his high school class, also known as Unit 5121. This new generation fearlessly struggles on with the aid of the HWT humanoid combat machines and the devastating PBE bomb. If you expect mecha, don't, because it's just training for mecha fights at best and fights themselves are out of focus... so instead it focuses on just bonding of two very different protagonists together... through school events and trainings.... it's not irritating, but there's hardly anything to see here, kind of awkward romance of sorts.   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. Stratos 4 ストラトス・フォー [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Military Comedy, Sci-Fi The Earth has developed a defense system against large meteorites that are on a collision course with it. This protection system is made up of the Comet Blasters based in several space stations as the 1st line of defense, using nuclear warheads launched by spaceships. The 2nd line of defense consists of the Meteor Sweepers launching from ground airbases using hypersonic planes with special missiles to deal with the resulting debris from the blasts. Mikaze is a troubled girl that is a trainee pilot for a Meteor Sweeper team that dreams of becoming a prestigious Comet Blaster pilot. Stratos 4 revolves around Mikaze's and her teammates' challenges to become real pilots, while the Earth faces the threats that come from space. Inarticulate SOL about training... to oppose threats from the space. Bland girls and fanservice shots killed the little leftover hopes.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Lime-iro Senkitan らいむいろ戦奇譚  [Studio Hibari] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Harem, Historical, Mecha Drama, Supernatural, Ecchi Around the the 37th year of the Meiji Era (1904), in the midst of the Russo-Japanese war, the small Japanese army, in need of assistance, uses its special flying (thanks to a benevolent demon) ship, the Amanohara, to attack Russia's major base at Port Arthur (Lushun). Umakai Shintaro, a Russian diplomat originally from Japan, defects and goes to Sapporo to teach at a girls academy. However, that girls academy is not typical—it is on board the Amanohara, and the five girls Shintaro teaches are known as the Raimu Unit—girls with the ability to summon powerful beings to fight for them. Shintaro eventually becomes their teacher and general in battle, and so the six embark on a weird and excessively erotic journey, as Shintaro helps the girls overcome their weaknesses, become stronger for the final stand at Lushun, and also understand the motives of the "Russian Spiritual Corps" that assist the opponent, which, unfortunately, has one member whom Shintaro knew well... Not every Elf game deserves adaptation, Cheesy ecchi baka harem that challenges silliness and fanservice tolerance every running minute.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Chou Robot Seimeitai Transformers Micron Densetsu Transformers Armada 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー マイクロン伝説 [Actas] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi On the mechanical planet of Cybertron live super robotic organisms known as Transformers. There, mainly consisting of convoys, the Cybertron army, and their old enemy Destron fell into conflict to gain hold of a new power to join their side. A new breed of Transformers known as the Microns. But, grieving over the battle the Microns set off to the other end of the universe. 4 million years later, on Earth, 3 young children activated a mysterious panel inside a cave. And somehow, that was the dormant Micron... This series should be properly marked as kids already.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Nanaka 6/17 ななか６／１７ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life Seventeen-year-old Nanaka Kirisato is a high school student serious about her studies and goals in life. She frequently criticizes her best friend, Nenji Nagihara, for being a childish delinquent who spends his time fighting other boys. Then one day, after a heated argument with Nenji, she falls off a flight of stairs and suffers a brain injury, resulting in her mind reverting to that of a six-year-old. With this in mind, Nanaka's father and Nenji must keep her injury a secret as she struggles to live a normal life and grow up all over again. Both sides of Nanaka personality are irritating, so it's a cute thematic comedy, but nothing bigger than that.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. L/R: Licensed by Royal Licensed by Royalty  [TNK] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Detective Action, Adventure, Mystery Jack Hofner and Rowe Rikenbacker are Cloud 7's L/R. Their job is to protect the Royal family of Ishtar, their treasures, and their reputation. Jack & Rowe face one of the toughest missions of their career when they are assigned to protect Noelle, a candidate for the 15 Year Princesse contest. It starts out simple, but soon all of Cloud 7 are involved in a web of intrigue that includes bombings, corruption and murder. Detective series with action segments... I'm definitely not enjoying this.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Majuu Sensen: The Apocalypse Beast Fighter: The Apocalypse 魔獣戦線 THE APOCALYPSE [Magic Bus] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Shounen Mythology, Super Power Action, Supernatural An entire city is destroyed by two monstrous and omnipotent beings. Genzou Kuruma, a scientist but also the leader of a sect wishes to awake God, but first, he needs a special kind of blood for it. His son, Shinichi Kuruma, and a young girl, Ayaka Sanders, possess that blood, and he will do anything to capture them and take their blood for God's Awakening, and so, humanity will be lost. Shinichi, along Ayaka and Tomizoro (Tommy), are escaping from Genzou Kuruma's "New Humans" (genetically altered humans who can turn into monsters), while Shinichi only wishes for revenge against his father. He, like the other "New Humans", has the power to summon different beasts from his body. With this power, he will fight until Genzou Kuruma is killed by his own hands. Reinstallment of another ancient series based on manga from 70s. I rated OVAs as 2/10 and genetics religious bloody core has not changed.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Barom One Barom 1 バロムワン [E&G Films] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Shounen Action, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Takeshi Kido and Kentaro Shiratori are a pair of friends who have been together for almost their entire life. One night, a strange being comes out from the lake and starts attacking them. When Takeshi and Kentaro are almost eliminated, a strange being named Kopu calls them and tells them that they are the chosen ones to inherit the power to protect the world from an evil being named Goumon. Now, they join their hands to transform into Barom One, a being with superior skills, who will fight to protect the city. Manga from 1970s just refuses to die peacefully. New spree of monsters and new joint Guyver to oppose them...   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Shutsugeki! Machine Robo Rescue 出撃！マシンロボレスキュー [Sunrise] (Finished 1/53) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi  In the future, age is not a factor to determine whether someone can perform a certain task or not, but special talent and training. An organization, Machine Robo Rescue (MRR), was established for robots and children to become partner and rescue people from danger. Then 12 children with various abilities were selected and introduced as part of this program: Robo Rescue! Meet Oozora Taiyou, one of the children who were chosen as a part of MRR program. After being late on his first day of training, he went to perform a hot rescue with JETROBO. However, a mysterious Robot from mysterious organization, "The Star"(?), appeared before MRR team to interfere with the rescue. What are the motives of the mysterious organization? And what are their goals? Life as one of the children chosen as part of MRR has started for Oozora Taiyou. Bumpy and hard training is just ahead for MRR team in order to protect many people's life! Characters are a little bit older than usual, but it's still kids anime through and through.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. Crush Gear Nitro クラッシュギアNitro [Sunrise] (Finished 1/50) Tags: Racing Sports Story about a young boy name: Mahha Masaru, who dreamt of having a crush gear fight with the others even though he doesn't have his very own crush gear! One day, a sudden chance came to him and he got the legendary crush gear which look similer to the one that was used by Kouya Marino and finally he can go and paticipate in his own crush gear fight with his friends and foe!! Not translated. Same toy robot fighting trash as Gekitou! Crush Gear Turbo.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Greek Roman Sinhwa: Olympus Guardian 그리스 로마 신화-올림포스 가디언 [-] (Finished 1/39) Tags: Historical Adventure, Fantasy The animated form of the Korean manhwa. It's in Korean with subs and of educational nature as it's introduction to Green Mythology in a playful manner.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Spheres 스피어즈 [Studio Kaab] (Finished 0/26) Tags: Super Power Action, Fantasy Unbeknownst to human history, the Kingdom of Spheres existed upon our earth long ago. The people of this kingdom would be regarded today as people with psychic powers. Unfortunately, like most other civilizations, as the gap widened more and more between the social classes, the Kingdom of Spheres was troubled by those greedy for power; and in the end it collapsed. Na Yeon is a mysterious girl who was found in the Antarctic after the destruction of Spheres. One day Asten, the chairman of Sphere Union, who has a burning ambition to control the world, sent his followers to keep watch on Na Yeon. Na Yeon and her friends try to keep three artifacts, the keys to conquer the world, from the hands of Sphere Union. Not translated. And I'm not going to watch untranslated anime about psychics in Korean.   Overall Rating: 0/10   19. Munto MUNTO [ムント] [Kyoto Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Fantasy, Romance  Above Earth, invisible to humans, float the Heavens—a collection of floating island kingdoms supported by the magic of their godlike inhabitants. The mysterious power source known as Akuto enables this magic to exist, but this is quickly running out. In response to this energy crisis, most of the kingdoms in the Heavens agree to use the minimum amount of Akuto required to sustain themselves, except for the Magical Kingdom. The leader of this kingdom, the Magical King Munto, believes that Akuto can be replenished if he travels to Earth and meets a mysterious girl shown to him by a seer. While Munto sets off on the dangerous journey, the other kingdoms attempt to destroy the Magical Kingdom and acquire the remaining Akuto for themselves. On Earth, Yumemi Hidaka is dealing with her own problems. She can see floating islands in the sky that nobody else can. While her best friend Ichiko Ono believes her, Yumemi wonders if she is going insane. When Munto suddenly appears before her, Yumemi dismisses him as a mere delusion. She is more concerned about her 13-year-old friend Suzume Imamura, who is attempting to elope with her delinquent boyfriend. As the Magical Kingdom nears the point where it will fall from the sky, Munto's quest to save both the Heavens and Earth grows increasingly desperate. Early Kyoto Animation works already have outstanding visuals, but plot is dreamy fantasy drama and it does not feel great, though really good starter work.   Overall Rating: 6/10   20. Memories Off 2nd Memories Off 2nd (メモリーズオフ 2nd) [Picture Magic, Rikuentai] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Drama, Romance  Shirakawa Hotaru, a girl who's in love with Inami Ken, finally confesses her love. From there on, they were happy couples, until one summer. Ken met a new friend, Tobise Tomoe, who is Hotaru's best friend. Tomoe seems to have her own charm. Ken, now have two paths to choose from; to be with Shirakawa Hotaru or Tobise Tomoe. Otherwise, he will lose them both. Love triangles were specialty of early Memories Off, as a romance drama not bad.   Overall Rating: 6/10   21. Early Reins アーリーレインズ [OLM] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Adventure  Early Reins features six beautiful women on a train en route to Sunshine Hill in the early 1800s. When the train is highjacked by robbers and the soldiers on board are caught unawares, another surprise is in store: these lovely ladies can fight! The heroine emerges as Margarette, a young woman determined to become a sheriff although she is somewhat lacking in experience. She gains plenty on this trip, however, and the ragtag team of Western warriors joins forces with another passenger, Spencer, to fight some nefarious bandits and guide the train to safety. 40 minutes to get acquainted with six heroines, show action and tell a story? Guess this mission was impossible from the start, so authors decided to strike out story at all and not even give an ending.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  10. kivandopulus
    Taiho Shichau zo The Movie managed to jump to the last wagon of the masterpiece train.   1. Turn A Gundam ∀ Gundam ∀ガンダム  [Sunrise, Nakamura Production] (Finished 3/50) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi It is the Correct Century, two millennia after a devastating conflict which left the world broken. Earth is now mostly uninhabitable, and thus a remnant of humanity has resided on the Moon while the Earth and its few survivors recover. For years, the "Moonrace," the people of the Moon, have continued to check if Earth is fit for resettlement. A boy named Rolan Cehack and two others are sent down to Earth for a reconnaissance mission. Rolan ends up spending a year on the planet working for the Heim Family, aristocrats living in a Victorian-like society. This family, like others of similar wealthy status, celebrates one's coming of age with a ceremony involving a giant stone statue known as the "White Doll." To Rolan's surprise, the Moonrace suddenly touches down on Earth with the intent of taking it by force. During the attack, the White Doll is broken apart, revealing a mobile suit called the "Turn A Gundam" inside. With Rolan in its cockpit, the Turn A causes a standoff between the forces of Earth and Moon. The young pilot, along with the people of both sides, must keep the peace and avoid another all-out, catastrophic war. Gundam has come with a new epic! Or so they probably think because they take such ridiculously slow pacing to stretch it all to 50 episodes that it's hard to stay awake for long. Nothing of interest happens in first three episodes, and then - bam - air attack without any signs of it. Feels like War of the Worlds as one tech side destroys 2nd steam tech side, but steam tech side finds a Gundam literally in a rock, who could have thought . Characters are just laughable. It's all even more silly and boring than usual.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Monster Farm: Enbanseki no Himitsu モンスターファーム [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/48) Tags: Isekai Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Genki is a boy who loves playing video games. One day he's zapped into the world of Monster Rancher and meets the girl Holly and the monsters Mochi, Suezo, Golem, Tiger and Hare. Together, they are searching for a way to revive the Phoenix, which is the only monster capable of stopping the evil Moo. If Pokemon had adventures in fantasy land, they'd look something like that. Too primitive for adults.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. To Heart トゥハート [OLM] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Harem, School Drama, Romance For as long as Akari can remember, she and Hiroyuki have always been friends. But with time, everything changes, and her feelings have turned into something more. As a new semester of high school begins, will the two childhood friends come closer together or drift further apart? Join Hiroyuki, Akari and all their friends—the bubbly Shiho, the quiet Serika, the lovely Kotone, and more—in this heartwarming tale of love, relationships and friendship! I've always loathed this franchise with all my heart. There might be some more decent iteration on the way, but this introduction is epithome of boredom .   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Juubee-chan: Lovely Gantai no Himitsu Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl: Secret of the Lovely Eyepatch 十兵衛ちゃん ーラブリー眼帯の秘密 [Madhouse] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama  Jiyu Nanohana is an ordinary schoolgirl until she runs across a scatterbrained 300 year old samurai who tells her that she is the reincarnation of Yagyu Jubei. With the help of the "Lovely Eyepatch" she transforms into the legendary swordsman whenever she needs to use his awesome fighting ability, which she needs to do quite often as a rival clan is dead set on conquering Yagyu to satisfy an old family grudge. Famous samurai reincarnation is quite a frequent plot to see nowadays. I guess it might still be fresh, but it's totally mundane and uninventive, as for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Dual! Parallel Lun-Lun Monogatari Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure デュアル！ぱられルンルン物語 [AIC] (Finished 4/13) Tags: Harem, Isekai, Mecha Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi Kazuki Yotsuga is your regular average nerd in high-school, except he isn't smart. He has this website which relates to his visions that only he can see. His visions are about robots who keep fighting each other battle after battle. One day he is sent to a "parallel world" where these visions exist and he joins a company to fight back against the devious RaRa, who want to take over the world. Fusion of Tenchi and Evangelion. But the mere thought that if Tenchi with all his harem are distributed by mecha it's going to get great - that means considering viewers stupid as corks.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Arc the Lad アークザラッド [Bee Train] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi  The story follows Elk, a bounty hunter in some strange futuristic world. On this world archaic but advanced technology exists side by side with primitive attitudes, beasts and magic. In other words it's got a bit of everything. It also has an evil conspiracy who are able to produce powerful monsters called chimera, who can also appear as human. Naturally it is not long before Elk has rescued a young female beast-master and gained himself some serious enemies. I never had access to console RPGs, so tried to learn plots through anime. And it's indeed very RPG-like story as we have some mysteries and lots of aimless wandering to chase those mysteries. I usually say that I'd cut length in two, but in this case more radical cut might be required. It has its small moments and stories, but they can't justify 9 hours of stale development.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Corrector Yui コレクター・ユイ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi  Yui is an average schoolgirl who lives in a future where all computers are supported by a single global network known as COMNET. Yui is a computer-illiterate girl who after a computer-lab accident is approached by IR, a raccoon looking corrector computer program, which tells her she must save COMNET. She must stop the rogue A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) computer program known as Grosser and his hench-programs from taking over the world. Grosser was originally designed to be that manager of all of COMNET. At first she's very reluctant to play the heroine because of her complete lack of knowledge and ability with computers. To save COMNET she must find and gain the trust of the other seven wayward corrector programs. They must also find the creator or COMNET Professor Inukai, to help stop Grosser for good. It's basically usual mahou shoujo, just in virtual reality and fighting viruses. Episodic and senseless.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Gokudou-kun Manyuuki Gokudo ゴクドーくん漫遊記 [Trans Arts] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  It all starts when Gokudou steals a pouch from a fortuneteller, thinking that it contains a gem. Instead, it turns out to be a rock, from which emerges Djinn. The genie grants Gokudou the standard three wishes, but our anti-hero doesn't think heavily about his wishes. Gokudou does get his wishes, though not exactly in the fashion that he expected. The best thing he gets out of his wishes is Honou no Maken, a magical sword that enables its owner to do fire attacks and it can be summoned from anywhere in the world. Even with an enchanted sword, Gokudou doesn't get much respect. He gets turned into a woman by Djinn, who is also a shapeshifter. He is followed by Rubette La Late, a potential love interest who is more interested in adventure, karaoke and outperforming Gokudou. He gets whapped on the head a lot, especially by the fortuneteller who reappears throughout the series just to plague Gokudou it seems. Later in the series, he gets another sidekick, a former evil magician named Prince, who is more handsome and a better womanizer than Gokudou. If I try to find something similar to compare, it would be Slayers, but with more annoying characters and even wilder nonsense humor. It's unusual for story to move in arcs instead of episodical stories, but with so much irritating stuff I find trouble enjoying anything in it .   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Betterman ベターマン [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha, Psychological Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi A deadly virus known as "Algernon" has attacked humanity with vicious meaning. At the forefront of the battle is the mystifying Akamatsu Industries—disguised as a heavy machine factory in Tokyo, this undercover organization uses neural enhanced weapons known as NeuroNoids to battle Algernon. Also helping with their secret efforts is the mysterious mutant who is only known as "Betterman." It's a creepy action about genetics modification with concept of monster of the week with a bit of everything on the side. It's not just not funny, but rather harmful.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Kaikan Phrase 快感 フレーズ [Studio Hibari] (Finished 3/44) Tags: Shoujo Music, Showbiz Drama, Romance After the break up of their old band, guitarist Yuki & drummer Santa decide to form a new one. They recruit bass player Towa, young guitarist Atsuro, and after much persuasion, vocalist Sakuya. Together they form Lucifer and they struggle to make it in the music business, and also to stay together. As well, they have to deal with personal issues, such as parental objections, and watching their old bands succeed ahead of them. Sakuya is the most troubled band member, as he has to deal with his tragic past, and his relationship with teenaged lyricist Aine. Many hot-tempered bishounens show off, pass through problems of their youth and throw something like "I think I'm in love" casually. I'm glad I'm not target audience , because I could not care less .   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. A.D. Police (TV) A.D. Police: To Protect and Serve アドバンスドポリス [Plum] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Adult Cast, Mecha Action, Sci-Fi Set a few years before Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040, A.D. Police chronicles the tales of Mega-Tokyo's special police division designed to control rogue Boomers in the city. A.D. Police Officer Kenji Sasaki faces a major dilemma: he loses another partner to a rabid boomer. A day after he's sent off-duty, he receives a new partner in the form of German cop Hans Kleif. Funny thing is that Kenji sucker-punched Hans at a bar the night before. Not only does Kenji face the everyday task of controlling Boomers, he has to learn to adjust with his new partner.  Catch many criminals and then will be able to catch even smarter criminals. That might work for an RPG, but episodic concept is bad for any anime. Content is generic cop show with some body horror.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Seihou Tenshi Angel Links Angel Links 星方天使エンジェルリンクス [Sunrise] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Space Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi Li Meifon is the head of a free, no expenses paid protection/security agency for escorting ships across outer space. Though only 16, she posesses great skill and leadership qualities while commanding her crew aboard their ship, the "Angel Links." However, some unpleasant memories begin to trouble her and she starts questioning her own past and reason for existence. Join Li Meifon and the rest of the Angel Links crew on their adventures through the Oracion star system as they battle pirates, government organizations, and a Tao master, all while finally uncovering Meifon's dark and mysterious past. Characters are all about cool looks, and no interesting story is going on. Sadly it's not that easy to repeat success of Outlaw Star or Cowboy Bebop, and there are enough of forgotten failed rivals like Moby Dick .   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Power Stone パワーストーン  [Pierrot] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Historical Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy An ancient legend tells of a magical Powerstone that granted its owner any wish desired. Adventurers from all over the globe clash as they seek this mystical gem. Based upon the Dreamcast game, POWERSTONE tries to entertain us with the story behind the game's premise. The plot begins with our hero, Fokker, training to be a fighter like his idol, Vargas. There's official dub and no sub for this game adaptation, and that's how I instantly learn that it's a safe kid's show that no one cares about. Let's not waste time and move on.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Tenshi ni Narumon! I'm Gonna Be an Angel! 天使になるもんっ！ [Pierrot] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Vampire  Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Yuusuke was just a normal kid going to high school. Then one day, the cute and behaloed Noelle fell, quite literally, into his life, naked as a baby and every bit as innocent. Before he can even fathom what's just happened, Yuusuke is inducted into a rather odd family of otherworldly beings. Papa is a Frankenstein monster with a taste for calisthenics. Mama is a gorgeous lady with a penchant for "round objects" -- really! The eldest sister, Sara, is literally invisible; the brother, Gabriel, is a teenage vampire with an attitude problem; and the youngest sister, Ruka, loves inventing things. There's a disapproving Grandma, who's a witch to the nth degree, and her vulture familiar. All Yuusuke wanted was for the beautiful Natsumi to even notice his attention, but now he has an angel-in-training to follow him wherever he goes. And Noelle, too, has a guide on her path to being an angel, the mysterious Michael. This anime manages to stop just a few steps from total absurd, but I'm having trouble even with just high amounts of absurd. Generates too much headache.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Eden's Bowy エデンズ　ボゥイ  [Studio Deen] (Finished 6/26) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi Yorn gazes up at two massive cities floating in the sky and dreams of discovering their mysteries. Without warning, those mysteries come looking for him. Edenic assassins murder his father and Yorn is next on the hit list. A nameless old man and a mysterious young girl help Yorn on his quest to find his long-lost mother and the truth. Known as the God Hunter, Yorn leads a race against the dark designs of the technological overlords. It's a fantasy shounen, but it also has mechanical enemies and memories from modern town life, so it's more of a fusion with present like Yu Yu Hakusho. Boy is younger than usual and has a family sword that can kill gods, and thus he is called God hunter. He travels with a girl who transfers in an older fighting girl and seems to have some relation to angels. And there's one old guy who they travel together just because they seem to travel in the same direction. And the rest we need to learn from encounters with some enemies, different locations and some new acquaintances. And this vagueness of concept is supposed to be point of attraction. But if I look at it from the side - it does not have a captivating story, it does not have mature interesting characters, it does not even has goals of characters. Guess it's mostly for those who can appreciate ongoing shounens and learn characters little by little while following some faraway goal and getting into situations. I can't stand pretty much any generally acclaimed shounens like hunter x hunter or naruto or pretty much everything similar, so such inability to present a story in any acceptable manner only irritates .   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Shin Hakkenden 神八剣伝  [Public & Basic] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Martial Arts Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Based on the long cherished, classic Japanese novel Nanso Satomi Hakkenden by Bakin Kyokutei Takizawa (1767), a modified version of it was made into animation. Taking place in the future, during this time wars were occuring in heaven, mostly for possession between the eight moons created by the savior Fuse that surrounded God's land. When the war ended, there was only one ruling family - that of the Oowaris, and the remaining son gained control of all the moons of heaven, except for one. Meiten, the moon of the pope, where people refrained from war and were therefore out of it's terms. Eight people. Each from one of the eight moons. Each possessing one of the jewels - the elements that compose Earth. They are those who are destined to become saviors of humanity. All of them have sacrificed for these jewels, and are determined to complete their duty to Queen Fuse who entrusted these to them. When the mad emperor Kai threatens to revive a ghost who wants to prevent the restoration of Earth, these eight must battle using the powers given by their jewels in order to create Earth and defeat those who want to prevent it. So they all go to Kusanagi, the ship in the center of God's land. They must gather the jewels in the key called Yatsufusa at Kusanagi's center, in order to create Earth. Basically, I can't enjoy such mess of fantasy , religion and scifi setting. Scenes shift places in fast progression, and there's often no background or only a very basic one. A lot of people are shown in random order, and by the end of episode 6 party only started to gather. Awful directorship , designs and visuals overall don't add motivation.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Soreyuke! Uchuu Senkan Yamamoto Youko (1999) それゆけ!宇宙戦艦　ヤマモト・ヨーコ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi  In the year 2999: humanity is split into two factions, Terra and Ness, in a war fought by starships. One of the foremost of the pilots is the cocky teenager Yamamoto Yohko, and during one of her missions, she and her crew are sucked into a temporal anomaly (a la Star Trek) that sends her back to our time. Amnesiac, she only thinks of herself as a typical high school student - until a course of events sends her back to her ship the TA-29, with her newfound friends fighting at her side in a war that looks suspiciously like an arcade game (complete with 100 yen ignition costs!). I hoped this franchise would die quietly after two OVAs. Despite being a reset rather than continuation, miracle did not happen and series developed the same concept of maximally unserious rivalry parties with much character interaction.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Masou Kishin Cybuster Cybuster 魔装機神サイバスター [Production Reed] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi In an enviromentally wrecked future Tokyo, a young man named Ken Ando joins an organization called DC. Little does he realize that his fate and that of Earth will be linked to a mysterious mecha from another world. This is mecha that wants to look like mecha from 1970s in 1999. Its sin is grave.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Saiyuuki (OVA) Saiyuki 最遊記  [Tokyo Kids] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Mythology Adventure, Supernatural The story of Sanzo and his three companions in their quest to the west, to stop the resurrection of Gyuumao. On the way they are fighting youkai, getting into trouble and helping the townspeople. I never could watch more than couple episodes of Saiyuuki series, now I finally understand where jeep and so different fighting techniques come from. Can't say OVA put me in awe, though.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Tenamonya Voyagers てなもんやボイジャーズ [Pierrot] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Paraila was an agent for a war organization in the space, but suddenly the supreme court of planets accused her of betrayal and she was forced to be a fugitive to escape from jail. Now she forms a team with a clueless school teacher, a bazooka lover girl and Paraila's former sidekick. They will battle against Paraila's enemies, and try to go to earth to escape from space justice. A surprisingly decent feeling comedy with high production values. But it's not finished, so above average is the maximum score that's available for it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   21. Tokimeki Memorial: Forever With You ときめきメモリアル 〜forever with you〜 [Pierrot] (Finished 2/2) Tags: School Drama, Romance Tokimeki Memorial brings together the twelve young girls from Kirameki High School, but revolves around the main girl, Fujisaki Shiori. The story starts at the beginning of the third school year, which is the last year before the main character can choose a girl and date her at the graduation. Source material is only slightly better than To Heart, so outcome is obvious.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Samurai Spirits 2: Asura Zanmaden Samurai Spirits 2 サムライスピリッツ2 アスラ斬魔伝 [Ajia-Do] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Martial Arts, Samurai, Super Power Action, Fantasy One hundred years after their deaths at the hands of a former colleage, six legendary holy warriors are reborn to seek justice against the teammate who betrayed them into the hands of an evil god. Based upon one of the most popular video games of all time, Samurai Shodown is a sprawling feature-length saga of reincarnation and revenge, featuring some of the most spectacular battle sequences ever animated! Join Charlotte, Wan Fu, Nakoruru, Galford and Tamtam as they search the feudal province of Edo questing for their lost comrade, Haohmaru, and their sworn nemesis Shirou Amakusa. Will the followers of the divine light triumph over the forces of the dark, or is the course of history destined to repeat itself? Before their hundred-year journey has ended, six samurai will prove that the only thing stronger than their holy blades is the steel of their wills! It's actually an improvement as characters are shown in natural environments and only by the middle baddie shows up, and afterwards it's again just damage management to show personalities and not fight.   Overall Rating: 6/10   23. Melty Lancer メルティランサー [Gonzo] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Space Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Meltylancer is a Galaxy Police Organization unit comprised by six girls, all of which who have their own special skills and talents. A year has passed since the unit's disbandment, but a new threat leaves the GPO no choice but to recall all the members. With a new commander and a new aide, Meltylancer is deployed once again. As game adaptation, creators had to play safe, so it ended up with average action and weak comedy.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Taiho Shichau zo The Movie You're Under Arrest The Movie 逮捕しちゃうぞ　the MOVIE [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Adult Cast, Detective, Workplace Action, Comedy, Drama Bokutou Precinct rarely deals with criminals more nefarious than speeding sportscar drivers. So when Officers Nikaido Yoriko and Aoi Futaba find a cache of illegal firearms in a stolen car, and a rash of traffic control malfunctions snarls traffic along Tokyo's streets, it is up to Tokyo's finest to figure out what's gone wrong. And of course, it'll take the talents of Kobayakawa Miyuki and Tsujimoto Natsumi to crack the case. But will Miyuki's trusty Mini-Pat and Natsumi's fierce determination be enough to stop a devious mastermind from exploiting the weaknesses of the system and crippling Tokyo—and the world—for good? Series lacked cases scale and implemented too much whacky comedy. This movie is many steps in the right direction. I already gave masterpieces to such movies as Patlabor 2 and Roujin Z , and this one is on comparable level.   Overall Rating: 7/10   25. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 07: Bakuhatsu! Onsen Wakuwaku Daikessen 映画 クレヨンしんちゃん　爆発！温泉わくわく大決戦 [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen School Comedy, Slice of Life, Ecchi The Nohara family and "Onsen G-Men", the secret government agency maintaining all the hot springs in Japan, fight against "Yuzame", a bath-hating terrorist organization plotting to wipe out all the hot springs in Japan. Movie 6 was just one step from the masterpiece, but this one is an unfunny drawback again.   Overall Rating: 5/10   26. Marco: Haha wo Tazunete Sanzenri 母をたずねて三千里 [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Drama  In the 19th century, Genoa (Italy), 9-year-old Marco must face separation from his mother Anna, who leaves for work in Argentina to escape heavy taxes and a deep economic depression. Remaining at home with his father-a doctor at the hospital for the poor-Marco cannot help but miss his mother. When Anna suddenly stops writing to them, Marco becomes anxious about her and decides to travel all the way to Argentina by himself. Marco sets out a long and arduous adventure of over 10,000 miles. All he carries with him is love, courage, friendship and a longing to see his mother again. The story will take you on an exciting journey across the Atlantic, the Andes, and the spiritual border as we watch Marco come of age. Old series from 70s turned into a movie. There was little chance I could like it, but with horrible tearjerkers it's just repulsive.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Zeno: Kagirinaki Ai ni ゼノ かぎりなき愛に [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Drama Zeno: Kagirinaki Ai ni is a movie about life and work of Brother Zenon Zebrowski, a Polish missionary in Japan. Brother Zenon was renown for his charitable work among victims of war and the poor in Japan. Life of a missionary, as expected, without anything even remotely interesting.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  11. kivandopulus

    Anime of the Year 2000-II Spring - FLCL

    By kivandopulus,


    Anime of the Year
    FLCL deserves a minor masterpiece for its impact alone .   1. Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters Yu-Gi-Oh! 遊☆戯☆王　デュエルモンスターズ  [Gallop] (Finished 3/224) Tags: Shounen Strategy Game Action, Adventure, Fantasy Yuugi Mutou is a naïve and lonely high school student who is fascinated by games. While staying with his grandfather, the owner of a game shop, he comes across an ancient Egyption relic known as the "Millennium Puzzle." Rumored to grant any wish to those who solve the Puzzle, Yuugi becomes determined to solve it to wish for some friends. After years of struggling, Yuugi manages to complete the puzzle and mysteriously finds that his wish has been fulfilled. Meanwhile, a new card game known as "Duel Monsters" starts rising in popularity. In this game, players called duelists fight against each other with "monsters" by using magic and trap cards to foil their opponent's plans. Yuugi quickly becomes skilled at the game and lives a peaceful life with his newfound friends. However, Yuugi's peace is short-lived. The undefeated duelist and egocentric billionaire Seto Kaiba suddenly abducts Yuugi's grandfather, forcing him to duel against the rare "Blue Eyes White Dragon'' card. Yuugi is thrown into a new world of fierce battles and the stakes continue to rise as dark forces interfere from the shadows. After unexpectedly defeating Kaiba with the help of his "other self"—the spirit of a nameless pharaoh—contained in the puzzle, he unofficially becomes the top duelist known as "The King of Games." However, this new title will attract covetousness and Yuugi will have to use all his intelligence and willpower in order to protect what he holds the dearest to him. I evaluated original low, but this is even worse because the skill in all other games is gone and because of some cheater moves used in Duel Monsters game.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Love Hina ラブひな [Xebec] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Shounen Harem Comedy, Romance, Ecchi Keitaro Urashima promised a girl when he was young that they would meet up again at Tokyo University in the future. Sadly, in the National Practice Exam, Keitaro ranked 27th from the bottom. Knowing his grandmother owned a hotel, Keitaro intended to stay there while continuing his studies for Tokyo U, only to find out the hotel had long been transformed into an all-girls dormitory. Through an odd twist of fate, Keitaro eventually became the manager of the dorm, beginning his life of living with five other girls. If I'm not mistaken, it's only third romcom harem series , so it was still fresh , and harem anime are usually better remembered due to the concept. But since it stands at the barebones of the genre, a lot of its elements and moves would be considered cliché nowadays. After so many years can only treat it as average.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Ayashi no Ceres Ceres, Celestial Legend 妖しのセレス [Pierrot] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Shoujo Psychological, Reincarnation Adventure, Drama, Horror, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense Ceres was a tennyo (Celestial maiden) who came down from the heavens to bathe in a stream. She hung her hagoromo (robe) on a tree nearby, which was her key to returning to the heavens. But the robe was stolen and the man who had stolen it forced her to become his wife, thus producing a family full of human and tennyo blood mixed. Now, in modern day time, Aya Mikage is a descendent of Ceres, and has quite an amount of tennyo blood. On her 16th birthday, she and her twin brother, Aki, are thrown a party. At the "party," Aya's grandpa plans to kill her, for she has tennyo powers unlike the rest of the family, and can actually become Ceres herself and destroy the Mikage family. Aya, however, can switch back, so this transformation happens quite frequently. With protector Yuuhi by her side, it is up to Aya to control Ceres and keep her from coming back, but her relationship with an ex-worker for her evil grandpa may be a distraction. It's a memorable dark shoujo. But I like only smart shoujo while here heroine is brainless and naïve, basically an object. Logic is also a universally weak side here for everyone .   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Gensoumaden Saiyuuki Saiyuki 幻想魔伝 最遊記 [Pierrot] (Finished 3/50) Tags: Shounen Mythology Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Supernatural Many years ago, humans and demons lived in harmony. But that unity ended when demons started attacking humans and plotted a mission to unleash Gyumao—an evil demon imprisoned for thousands of years. Now, Genjo Sanzo, a rogue priest, must team up with three demons—Sha Gojyo, Son Goku, and Cho Hakkai—and embark on a perilous journey to the west to stop these demons from resurrecting Gyumao and restore the balance between humans and demons on Earth. I don't like character designs and I don't like travelling concept as it's always coming somewhere and fighting similar demons who lost their human parts or something.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. NieA Under 7 ニア アンダーセブン  [Triangle Staff] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Iyashikei Comedy, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life  In the 21st century, aliens have arrived on Earth and live among humans. In sleepy Enohana, the dirt-poor student Chigasaki Mayuko finds herself living together with NieA, a low-caste ("Under Seven") alien. While Mayuko struggles diligently to make ends meet, NieA seems to be totally unconcerned with the consequences of her actions. As the odd couple throws off the expected sparks, the wrecked alien mothership looms in the background... Aimless SOL with a very annoying alien who does everything to ruin others life. That spoils all leftover hopes.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Seikai no Senki Banner of the Stars 星界の戦旗 [Sunrise] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Military, Space Action, Romance, Sci-Fi  Three years since the end of their intergalactic excursion, both Lafiel Abriel and Jinto Linn have reunited; Lafiel as the captain of the attack ship Basroil and Jinto as her supply officer. The restart of the war between the Abh Empire and the Triple Alliance thrusts the inexperienced duo into the forefront of the deadly conflict. As the catastrophic battle between pure humankind and their greatest creation, the Abh, rages on, both sides accept that their conflict is not merely about territory, but about settling the inherent differences between themselves. If Crest of the Stars showed ugly chaotic roots of turmoil, in Banner of Stars viewer feels like consumer of Abh Empire propaganda in already conquered star system. The total war till the dominion was justified because Abh ship got destroyed under mysterious and never investigated circumstances. The war was inevitable , because democratic human union supposedly thought lowly of Abh and wanted to make them all slaves. Abh commanders act as they want and without any remorse for their own or enemy forces - and it's propaganda task to make those actions look good as they supposedly turned out for the better. Human counterparts are very seldom shown and each their action is portrayed as having egoistic reasoning at heart while Abh commanders are never criticized even though they act literally to have fun and get more entertainment. Show only one side and repeat the same theses over and over - just as Goebbels instructed. It's a genius show in justifying aggressor and the appeal of evil, a truly propagandistic piece of art. That's what happens when fundamentals are cast off as insignificant in favor of aesthetics and simplifications to just present some cool space fighting action.   Overall Rating: 4/10   7. Sakura Taisen Sakura Wars TV サクラ大戦 [Madhouse] (Finished 8/25) Tags: Mecha, Performing Arts Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Sakura travels to the capital with aspirations of defending the city from the demonic forces of the Black Sanctum Council like her father before her. However, things are not as she imagined as in addition to using her great spiritual energy to pilot a mech called a Kobu, she must also perform on stage as an actor as The Imperial Flower Division's cover is an art theater. Making a fool of herself and ruining a production gets her on everyone's bad side and somehow she must learn to work with them as well as prevent the enemy from destroying several shrines which protect the city. After two filler OVA series it's finally time for action ! Or so I thought. The beginning is again gathering of the team and the middle is again mostly theater rehearsals. I did not expect this anime to be about theater and on a sidenote somewhere about mecha piloting. And demon forces are just spawning, getting defeated, rince and repeat, there's no big plan for the most part till the end, and I'm not going to watch it all just to know what it ends with. It does not know what it wants to be and thus it's a bore.   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. Daa! Daa! Daa! だぁ! だぁ! だぁ!  [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/78) Tags: Shoujo Childcare Comedy, Sci-Fi Miyu is an 8th grade girl, whose parents have been hired by NASA. They take off to America leaving Miyu with Mr. Saionji. Later, Mr. Saionji decides to go on a 1 year long trip to India leaving Miyu alone with his son, Kanata. More complications rise when an Alien baby and his babysitter pet crashes/lands in their house. To make things worse, alien baby starts calling Miyu and Kanata Mom and Dad, also showing ESP power and floating around. We already got two shows when school students had to assume role of parent and there were rather negatives sides - first, kid always cried, second, kid required 100% of attention depriving of any former usual activities. This anime tries to mend those drawbacks. Alien boy is always smiling or may become a bit serious, but never cries. And alien boy comes with a talking nursing transforming pet, so protagonists have much more free time on their hands and they can even go to school leaving kid alone. Oh, and alien boy also flies so that he can get out of almost any danger. I have to admit that it's brighter and easier to watch now. But I still can't enjoy such concept, now it's more like comedy with constant searching for lost alien kid.   Overall Rating: 6/10   9. Boys Be... ボーイズ・ビー [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life  There are two sides to every love story, and Boys Be... reveals what's really going on—from the guy's point of view! Meet three normal high school guys with just one thing on their minds: girls. Quiet Kyoichi has been friends with Chiharu ever since they were young, but lately, his feelings have begun to change. Lecherous Makoto, a self-proclaimed master of the rules of romance, is ready to sweep the ladies off their feet. And Yoshihiko, a handsome sports nut, is unfortunately a bit clueless in matters of the heart. Join this hapless trio for a year of romantic misadventures that will change their lives forever! So each episode tries to present a complete romance story which always feels super rushed and cliché. Never thought I could say it, but even brainless boys adventures at Green Green are better for being continuous story.  Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Gate Keepers ゲートキーパーズ [Gonzo] (Finished 4/24) Tags: Mecha Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi  Technology, science, and industry—this is 1969 Tokyo, and there is no better time to be alive! But a shadow looms quietly around every corner: "Invaders" have infiltrated the populace, and nobody knows who or what they are. Only the members of the top-secret agency AEGIS know of their existence. Covertly fighting the enemy is their job, but only those with the ability to open "Gates" to another world can truly defeat them. Within AEGIS is a specialized task force known as the "Gate Keepers." Composed of extraordinary individuals with a variety of Gate-related abilities, they are the only ones who can save humanity from the vicious Invaders plaguing the planet. Shun Ukiya is an average high school student who lives with his widowed mother and little sister. While on his way home from school one day, he comes across a group of Invaders heading toward his house. In a desperate plight to save his family, Shun discovers he possesses the ability to open a Gate, allowing him to harness massive amounts of energy. With his newfound ability exposed, he catches the attention of AEGIS, and particularly the interest of one of its Gate Keepers, Shun's childhood friend Ruriko Ikusawa. A rather weird action comedy with a very varied team cast. By the end of 4th episode only four out of seven team members gathered, so pacing is rather slow and enemy attacks are quite random and not carrying any big plan in mind. Guess it's for those who can turn off head and enjoy easy-minded comedy with fighting.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Monster Farm: Legend e no Michi Monster Rancher (2000) モンスターファーム～伝説[レジェンド]への道～ [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Isekai Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Genki is a boy who loves playing video games. One day he's zapped into the world of Monster Rancher and meets the girl Holly and the monsters Mochi, Suezo, Golem, Tiger and Hare. Continuing from where the original story left off, Genki and friends journey to conquer the legend cup in hopes of freeing Holly's father from the mystery disc. Did not see difference from prequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Transformers: Car Robots Transformers: Robots in Disguise トランスフォーマー・カーロボット [Gallop] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi The evil Gigatron has led his forces of Destrongers to Earth, where they seek to pillage the planet for its vast energy resources in order to fuel their war against the Autobots. If successful, the Destrongers will finally be able to tip the scale of power in the war to their favor, eliminating the Autobots and moving on to conquer the universe. To this end, the Destrongers kidnap the scientist Dr. Ohnishi, Earth's leading scientist on energy and natural resources. Dr. Oonishi's son, Koji, is contacted by none other than Fire Convoy, who takes the boy on a mission to rescue his father. Although Fire Convoy and the other Autobots fight valiantly, they are unable to rescue the doctor from the Destrongers. Now it is up to the Autobots and Koji to rescue Dr. Oonishi and protect the Earth and its resources from Gigatron and his army. Ancient mecha franchise is back. Same horrible as always.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Dokidoki♡Densetsu: Mahoujin Guruguru Magical Circle Guru Guru 2 ドキドキ♡伝説 魔法陣グルグル [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/38) Tags:  Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  Join the new legend of Guruguru, where Nike, the reluctant hero, and Kukuri, the innocent heroine, return to save the world. The magical adventure that unfolds, with its unique monsters and eccentric characters, is sure to draw you into this curious and exciting realm. To save the world from evil King Giri, Kukuri must locate the monsters in each territory and win them, one by one, over to her side. Meanwhile Nike's task is to be recognized by the Four Kings of Nature and collect their swords. These swords are known as the "Sword of Wind," the "Sword of Water," the "Sword of Earth" and the "Sword of Fire." Can Nike and Kukuri truly become hero and heroine? Follow their journey and find out! The very beginning of this second season was only moderately crazy so I hoped I could watch some of it, but - alas - total absurd got back very soon and with that my headache.   Overall Rating: 6/10   14. Hidamari no Ki Tree in the Sun 陽だまりの樹  [Madhouse] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Historical, Medical, Samurai Action, Award Winning, Drama A story set in the mid-1800's about a young doctor who has been trained in Western-style medicine and a young samurai who is trying to live up to the old traditions of his class and culture. The story is actually based upon real people - the doctor, Ryo-an, was Tezuka's great grandfather. During the Second Year of Ansei (1855) in Edo's Koishigawa are two young men, Manjiro Ibutani and Ryoan Tezuka. Ibutani is a low-ranking samurai who is a gifted swordsman and has a straightforward and strong sense of justice. Tezuka has a more carefree attitude. He has an eye for the ladies, but he is passionate about becoming a doctor. The two opposite characters come of age during the backdrop of the turbulent end of the Tokugawa Period (1600-1868 CE). I don't like stories based on real people. Edo period is always nice to watch, but the conflict of the anime is western vs eastern medicine and some clans clashes... nothing even remotely great. So partly it's Black Jack spiritual successor which I already hate immensely.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Ginsoukikou Ordian 銀装騎攻オーディアン  [Plum] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Mecha Sci-Fi  Kananase Yu is just an ordinary high-school student. Since he has mysterious inside knowledge about piloting a mecha, he is recruited by the International Military Organization as a potential test pilot for a new mobile armor. However, apparently there are other young recruits around his age, including one of his classmates, were recruited as test pilot as well. Now Kananase Yu must prove that he is the best to be the test pilot. Mecha, bishounens, hectic narration. What could possibly go wrong? Still main problem is that something keeps happening without explanation and most of the time it's insignificant stuff or something running with unknown purpose. Poor directorship can ruin anything.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. Time Bokan 2000: Kaitou Kiramekiman タイムボカン2000 怪盗きらめきマン [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi More Time Bokan adventures. Just one episode is translated as everyone is sick of this franchise that has like 10th iteration already. Villain heroine is surprisingly decent this time, but all the adult related humor is toned town greatly, so it's just another kid show now.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Fabre-sensei wa Meitantei ファーブル先生は名探偵 [E&G Films] (Finished 0/26) Tags: Mystery The world of insects is full of enchantment and amazement. This animation series is inspired by "the Diary of Insects" written by Jean Henri Fabre, an outstanding French entomologist and author in the 19th Century. In his original works, Mr. Fabre vividly described the life of insects. In this series all the insects and bugs have been personified and drawn into marvelous animated characters. This is the story of the exciting adventures of a crime-buster in the world of insects! Our hero's way of investigation is so unique and always ends with surprising solutions. The interesting ecology of various insects will be described while our "cool" hero, Inspector Fabre, analyzes and unties the knots of crimes and conspiracy a la fashion of Sherlock Holmes! Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   18. Anime Roukyoku Kikou Shimizu no Jirochouden アニメ浪曲紀行 清水次郎長伝 [-] (Finished 0/30) Tags: Historical Comedy, Drama A story based on Shimizu no Jirochou, an early yakuza who specialized in gambling and maritime transport. The anime is composed of 10 stories. Each story was told over 3 episodes. The particular tale is based on Hirosawa Torazo II's telling; Hirosawa is a roukyoku/naniwabushi. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   19. FLCL フリクリ [Gainax, Production I.G] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Mecha, Parody, Psychological Action, Avant Garde, Comedy, Sci-Fi Naota Nandaba is an ordinary sixth grader living in a city where nothing amazing ever seems to happen. After his brother Tasuku leaves town to play baseball in America, Naota takes it upon himself to look after everything Tasuku left behind—from his top bunk bed to his ex-girlfriend Mamimi Samejima, who hasn't stopped clinging to Naota since Tasuku left. Little does Naota know, however, that his mundane existence is on the verge of being changed forever: enter Haruko Haruhara, a Vespa-riding, bass guitar-wielding, pink-haired psychopath whose first encounter with Naota leaves him with tire tracks on his back and a giant horn on his head. Though all he wants is some peace and quiet, when Haruko takes up residence at his parents' home, Naota finds himself dragged into the heart of the greatest battle for supremacy that Earth—and quite possibly the entire universe—has ever seen. For some reason this kind of absurdism does not get me tired as there is usually some kind of explanation, not total randomness. For me FLCL marks revolution in anime that goes against all rules and that creates own rules instead. Don't limit imagination, there's a whole world of possibilities. Don't try to appeal to masses, do what you like and you'll find your niche. Fast pace and some clever humor findings as well.   Overall Rating: 7/10   20. JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Adventure JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (OVA) ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 ADVENTURE [APPP] (Finished 3/7) Tags: Shounen Vampire Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural Kujo Jotaro is a normal, popular Japanese high-schooler, until he thinks that he is possessed by a spirit, and locks himself in prison. After seeing his grandfather, Joseph Joestar, and fighting Joseph's friend Muhammad Abdul, Jotaro learns that the "Spirit" is actually Star Platinum, his Stand, or fighting energy given a semi-solid form. Later, his mother gains a Stand, and becomes sick. Jotaro learns that it is because the vampire Dio Brando has been revived 100 years after his defeat to Jonathan Joestar, Jotaro's great-great-grandfather. Jotaro decides to join Joseph and Abdul in a trip to Egypt to defeat Dio once and for all. I grasped the nature of JoJo from last OVA well enough, so no need to watch second OVA to the end. Same manly epic noise with zero substance .   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Tenshi Kinryouku Angel Sanctuary 天使禁猟区 [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shoujo Reincarnation Action, Drama, Romance, Supernatural Setsuna Mudo is a 16-year-old high school student just trying to get by without running afoul of his bullying seniors. It doesn't help that he's in love with his younger sister, Sara, who only sees him once a month. But there's more to his life than just keeping his head down. Setsuna is ambushed by mysterious beings, angels, and demons, all professing to know his true destiny. The angels say he is the reincarnation of their leader Alexiel, while the demons claim he led them to war against God himself. As Setsuna struggles with his identity in such strange times, the eternal conflict between Heaven and Hell threatens to reignite. Will he be prepared when it does? Tasteless eschatological confrontation, now with bishounens and emotional outbursts. Feels so rushed and artificial and having dummy personalities and just bad.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Amon: Devilman Mokushiroku Amon: Apocalypse of Devilman AMON デビルマン黙示録 [Studio Live] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Gore, Mythology, Psychological Horror, Supernatural Fear runs rampant throughout Tokyo with the revelation that demons in fact exist amongst us. Paranoia and the darker side of humanity boils onto the streets as people turn on one another, suspecting that anyone could in fact be a demon hiding in human clothing. Amidst the growing tensions, tragedy strikes Akira causing his mind to snap, retreating into his subconscious, allowing his Devilish alter-ego Amon to break free from Akira's cage of flesh and wreak havoc on both human and demons alike. A very bloody Devilman franchise movie. Unless someone likes gore or is already an established fan of Devilman series, I see no reason to recommend it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Refrain Blue [PP Project] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Drama, Romance  A trip to the beach turns out to be more than expected for two people who are mourning the losses of their beloved. Perhaps a mysterious girl known as the "Umi Warabe" can help them to heal their wounds and move on with their lives. Matsunaga Yoshihiro is the chaperone for a group of high-school students on a summer trip to the beach. One night he saves one of the students, Morisawa Nao, as she attempts to drown herself. She had been on this same trip a year ago, with her fiancee, who was later killed in a plane crash. As these two get to know each other, we find that Yoshihiro also has a painful secret from his past. Watching over everything is a mysterious young girl who somehow is always there at decisive moments. I see drama as cheesy here and the romance SOL as insignificant. Average is a good word for it, but it's still great that it exists as visual novel is even worse.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Space Travelers The Animation Space Travelers スペーストラベラーズ The Animation [Fuji TV, Robot Communications] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Space Sci-Fi  In the New Cosmic Century 038, humanity is suddenly attacked by an unknown alien civilization known as the Orbital Ring System. Soon, the entire Earth Civilization Sphere has been cut off from the space colonies, and is under the control of the ORS. Only Hayabusha Jetter, along with his band of misfit space pirates and smugglers, can break through ORS lines. It's only one hour long, and majority of time the supposedly bright crew just sits in their ship as it evades space dangers first on the way to and then from the Earth. There's nothing to look at.   Overall Rating: 4/10   25. Jin-Rou Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade 人狼 JIN-ROH [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adult Cast, Detective, Military Award Winning, Drama, Romance In an alternate history, following World War II, civil unrest and terrorism run rampant in a devastated Japan under foreign occupation. During a botched interception of underground munitions being transferred by a terrorist organization, Constable Kazuki Fuse, a soldier in an elite counter-terrorism unit, witnesses the true terror of human nature. He fails to prevent a teenage girl from carrying out a desperate suicide bombing that subsequently causes immense destruction to Tokyo. With mental scars and his competence under question, Fuse is sent back to the military academy for re-evaluation. Unbeknownst to him, he will soon be caught up in a web of government conspiracies that have the power to determine the future of all of Japan. As Fuse treads the fine line between human and beast, he ultimately discovers to which side he truly belongs. Pace is slow, there's not much explanation in words, and the seemingly great scale of story turns out to be not so great so to say in order not to spoiler, it disappointed me. It's a nice piece of art with all the little Robin the Hood references, but as a story there's nothing much, and I just can't recommend to invest two hours to get only some emotions and impressions out of it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   26. Escaflowne Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea エスカフローネ  [Bones, Sunrise] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Isekai, Mecha Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi  Hitomi Kanzaki is in a very depressed mood. She only wants to sleep and fade away. Her misery summons Lord Folken who sends her to Gaea. The people of Gaea think she is the Wing Goddess, who can call upon the legendary Dragon Armor called Escaflowne. On Gaea, King Van, the sole survior of the White Dragon Clan, is also in a depressed state. Swearing an oath to get his revenge on the Black Dragon Clan that obliterated Van's kingdom, he lives by the sword. Now that the Wing Goddess has finally appeared, she posseses Gaea's world fate in her heart. Escaflowne will either lead Gaea to peace or total ruin. Series started to resemble a usual mecha very soon after introduction, so I'm happy that almost everything mecha is cut from the movie. It's a beautiful show now albeit rather simple and occasionally silly.   Overall Rating: 6/10   27. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 08: Arashi wo Yobu Jungle 映画 クレヨンしんちゃん　嵐を呼ぶジャングル [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Action, Adventure, Comedy An adventure set in a south island. Shinnosuke with his parents and friends joined a tour with the preview of Action Kamen's new movie 'South Sea Millennium Wars' on a luxury liner, but a funky guy who names himself Paradise King and his slave gang of gibbon monkeys took away all the adults to a south island. Gotaro Go, an actor playing the role of Action Kamen, with Shinnosuke, fights a martial-arts battle and air battle against Paradise King. Somehow, was not great again. Little sister Himawari does not contribute to humor and only adds filler events.   Overall Rating: 5/10   28. Ghiblies ギブリーズ [Studio Ghibli] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Comedy Two Ghibli created shorts about the happenings in a fictional animation studio, presumably based to some extent on their own. It's slightly over 30 minutes overall and includes live action scenes and CGI while animation is even worse than in Tonari no Yamada-kun , so it's hardly watchable at all,  just doodles for the first episode. Second episode looks better than Yamadas, but also uses more CGI and live action. Humor is ok.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  12. kivandopulus
    Lots of nice works at the turn of centuries with my choice being Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku , Blue Gender and Seraphim Call ,   1. One Piece   [Toei Animation] (Finished 6/?) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Fantasy Gol D. Roger was known as the "Pirate King," the strongest and most infamous being to have sailed the Grand Line. The capture and execution of Roger by the World Government brought a change throughout the world. His last words before his death revealed the existence of the greatest treasure in the world, One Piece. It was this revelation that brought about the Grand Age of Pirates, men who dreamed of finding One Piece—which promises an unlimited amount of riches and fame—and quite possibly the pinnacle of glory and the title of the Pirate King. Enter Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy who defies your standard definition of a pirate. Rather than the popular persona of a wicked, hardened, toothless pirate ransacking villages for fun, Luffy's reason for being a pirate is one of pure wonder: the thought of an exciting adventure that leads him to intriguing people and ultimately, the promised treasure. Following in the footsteps of his childhood hero, Luffy and his crew travel across the Grand Line, experiencing crazy adventures, unveiling dark mysteries and battling strong enemies, all in order to reach the most coveted of all fortunes—One Piece. I could never understand appeal of action shounens and even had to listen to some anime podcasts to see what's there to like and be excited about. Can't say I got articulate answers - just good visuals, fast pacing, lots of cool special fighting moves, confrontation between parties of extraordinary strength and aura, great character interaction. It all amounts to zero, because, as for me, it's just aimless adventure that develops in cycles with different enemies and character arcs horizontally and keeps attention only by self-reflection or by forged links between characters. Watched three episodes from the start and three newest ones, and it's all really bad. And One Piece does not even provide positive effect unlike Naruto or Hunter x Hunter - it's what appeals to lowly qualities in viewers personalities and as supposed mainstream has a negative impact on the industry overall as it spawns imitators in search for a quick buck. Basically, for me One Piece and similar brainless shounens are the new mecha - artifact of history that clings to some ancient illusionary fame and that just keeps going by inertia, because it satisfies nostalgy feelings of both providing and receiving sides.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Hunter x Hunter HUNTER×HUNTER（ハンター×ハンター） [Nippon Animation] (Finished 4/62) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Fantasy Hunters are specialized in a wide variety of fields, ranging from treasure hunting to cooking. They have access to otherwise unavailable funds and information that allow them to pursue their dreams and interests. However, being a hunter is a special privilege, only attained by taking a deadly exam with an extremely low success rate. Gon Freecss, a 12-year-old boy with the hope of finding his missing father, sets out on a quest to take the Hunter Exam. Along the way, he picks up three companions who also aim to take the dangerous test: the revenge-seeking Kurapika, aspiring doctor Leorio Paladiknight, and a mischievous child the same age as Gon, Killua Zoldyck. Hunter x Hunter is a classic shounen that follows the story of four aspiring hunters as they embark on a perilous adventure, fighting for their dreams while defying the odds. I heard that Hunter x Hunter had healing effect on some people, and it's understandable as HxH has a lot of human dimension and tries to be anti-brainless while still staying shounen. Compared to One Piece, HxH has actual story and ending, does not get to overpowered stage , limits the number of characters rather than expanding eternally, concentrates on relations between main characters , does not try be flashy or cool. It's rather continuation of Yu Yu Hakusho tradition in a new unique world and younger protagonist who still learns things. Of course, for me story is too abstract, protagonist too childish, pace too slow, setting too mundane, attitude too naïve and companions rather average, but I'm not the target audience and it's the genre I don't like overall. Still, I can at least understand the appeal.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Initial D Second Stage 頭文字〈イニシャル〉D SECOND STAGE [Pastel] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Seinen Racing Action, Drama Accumulating an impressive series of victories with his AE86, Takumi Fujiwara has imposed himself as street racing's newest rising star. However, his newly found confidence of winning at his home turf of Mount Akina has been put in jeopardy by a new Emperor team exclusively using a car model favored by most professional racing pilots: the Mitsubishi four-wheel drive Lancer Evolutions—also known as Lan Evos. The Emperor team leader, Kyouichi Sudou, looks down on Takumi and regards him as an inferior pilot for driving an antique car that lacks the makings of a true modern race car. Kyouichi's elitist philosophy is also the reason why his team is only made of Lan Evo drivers. Will Takumi be able to keep his perfect track record intact against the highly skilled and mechanically superior Emperor team, or does his hot streak end here? Only goofy emotionless protagonist duo with super-emotional buddy makes this franchise stand out as special, like manzai comedy. That's not enough to enjoy it, and all the competition part is alien to me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku Now and Then, Here and There 今、そこにいる僕 [AIC] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Isekai, Military Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Shuuzou "Shuu" Matsutani lives his ordinary life in peace. He has friends, a crush, and a passion for kendo. Dejected after losing to his kendo rival, Shuu climbs a smokestack to watch the sunset where he finds Lala-Ru, a quiet, blue-haired girl wearing a strange pendant. Shuu attempts to befriend her, despite her uninterested, bland responses. However, his hopes are crushed when a woman, accompanied by two serpentine machines, appear out of thin air with one goal in mind: capture Lala-Ru. Shuu, bull-headed as he is, tries to save his new friend from her kidnappers and is transported to a desert world, unlike anything he has ever seen before. Yet, despite the circumstances, Shuu only thinks of saving Lala-Ru, until he is thoroughly beaten up by some soldiers. As he soon finds out, Lala-Ru can manipulate water and her pendant is the source from which she is able to bring forth the liquid, a scarce commodity in his new environment. But now, the pendant is lost, and Shuu is the prime suspect. Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku is the haunting story of a dystopian world, and of Shuu, who has to endure torture, hunger, and the horrors of war in order to save the lonely girl he found sitting atop a smokestack. Watched it as a part of dystopia anime run. It has a lot of Future boy Conan vibes and just like it also strikes as dealing with heights too much. It really impressed me that time, less so now, but I generally don't enjoy rewatching things that I still have enough recollections of. Such short unique dystopia story with enough emotional charge definitely deserves to be pointed out as masterpiece, but the final score should be calculated in comparison with closest rival Future boy Conan... and just can't rate Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku any lower as themes are more serious and grown-up here.   Overall Rating: 8/10   5. Heppoko Jikken Animation Excel♥Saga Excel Saga へっぽこ実験アニメーション エクセル♥サーガ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Seinen Gag Humor, Parody Comedy, Sci-Fi It's hard to take over the world, and the enigmatic Il Palazzo, head of the ACROSS organization, knows this, so he aims to start small by conquering the city of Fukuoka. Two young officers, the Excel and her partner Hyatt, are tasked with executing this plan, but standing in their way are the City Security workers, a group consisting of three (mostly) normal guys, a very severe girl, and some robots. Regardless of simplicity, Excel and Hyatt always manage to screw up their missions, which usually result in death and lots of destruction. Heppoko Jikken Animation Excel♥Saga chronicles the elaborate troubles that the ACROSS officers get themselves into, as Excel and Hyatt never fail to do their jobs improperly. It might be the best known absurd anime out there. I tried to watch it at least twice, another attempt now did not do any good as well. Just nonsense.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. The Big O THEビッグオー [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha, Psychological Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi Paradigm City, a city of amnesia and a place of belonging. It remains populated by forgotten pasts and the ruins of their labors due to a calamity 40 years ago. Shrouded in a fog-like mystery, it is up to people like Roger Smith to shine a light through the mist. Acting as a professional negotiator and suave agent, Roger is a self-tailored ladies man whose only love is for funeral black. However, as he gets deeply involved with his clients, what often starts as a simple negotiation evolves into Roger saving Paradigm from crime and peril. In the process, Roger stumbles even deeper into the untold folds of the city. As a rule, things are hardly ever as they appear. Serving as gray knight in a gray world, Roger is not without allies. By his side are Norman, a loyal and widely skilled butler, and Dorothy, a human-like android with deadpan snark. Together with the relic Big O, a jet-black mecha of gargantuan size and weight, they help Roger serve iron justice to Paradigm's lurking villains as he discovers the truth about 40 years ago. I see this  show as yet another reinvention of Gigantor with aesthetics coming from Batman. Just episodic stories with detective context. It's difficult to understand what's here to like. And if you like style here, better watch original Batman.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Blue Gender  [AIC] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Adventure, Drama, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi Blue Gender takes place in the not too distant future in a world where things have gone terribly wrong for humanity. Humans have been replaced at the top of the food chain by the Blue, a race of bug-like aliens that have colonized Earth and pushed humans aside. A space station, Second Earth, has been constructed as a safe haven for humans, with the hope of one day reclaiming the Earth once more. Yuji Kaido was cryogenically frozen, having been suffering from a disease known as B-Cells. Once awakened, he joins a team of soldiers that have come to Earth to extract him. Unfortunately, nothing goes according to plan as they make their way back to Second Earth. Yuji will have to deal with the horrors of fighting a bloody war as he and the fighters from Second Earth look to survive. Will they be able to win back Earth without losing their humanity? I watched it all twice now, and I liked it both times, but memory cut the first insignificant half. Episode 1-9 is just getting lost and sidetracked, three more episodes is to reunite again, so real story only starts from episode 14. It's a unique experience of post-apocalyptic full of despair struggle against invaders, something like Starship Troopers on the brink of full conquest of the Earth. I can't even consider it mecha as enemies are monsters and battle suits are just armored vehicles and it could be some tanks, plus there are a lot of battles with just guns and no mecha. Sadly, in the end story goes easy and convenient way rather than hard way that Muv Luv Alternative later went, but that's all the hints I can give. Due to needless first half and quite much mental instability can't give it a score higher than borderline masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 7/10   8. Zoids ゾイド [Xebec] (Finished 3/67) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi In a remote desert on the Planet Zi, a boy named Van discovers an abandoned, dilapidated facility. Inside, he finds an opaque cocoon that breaks on its own, and a dinosaur-like robot known as an "Organoid" emerges from the shell. Van names the creature Zeke and claims it for himself, but a group of bandits come after him to seize the Organoid. The bandits are equipped with "Zoids," beast-like mechanical units that are used for combat. Van is able to fend off his pursuers by reviving and fusing with an old Zoid dubbed the "Shield Liger." Van returns to the facility with Zeke in tow and finds a new cocoon. He is ecstatic that he may have obtained another Organoid, but when the cocoon breaks, a girl emerges from it instead. Unaware of her origins, the girl only remembers that her name is Fiona and that she has to locate an object called the "Zoid Eve." Determined to solve the mystery behind her existence, Fiona ventures out alongside Van and Zeke to uncover what the Zoid Eve truly is. The trio runs across many friends and foes in their adventure, encountering various dangers and experiencing slices of light-heartedness as they travel. It's an easygoing mecha about kid controlling robot pets in forms of CGI beasts and fighting some stereotypical baddies controlling similar mecha... actual episodes are even worse than it sounds.   Overall Rating: 4/10   9. Mugen no Ryvius Infinite Ryvius 無限のリヴァイアス [Sunrise] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Mecha, Military, Psychological, Space  Drama, Sci-Fi The year is AD 2225. Kouji Aiba and Aoi Housen are serving as astronauts in-training in Liebe Delta which is located on the edge of the Geduld Sea. When saboteurs with unknown intents suddenly strike during a routine dive procedure, the space station plummets into the Geduld, a plasma field that links all the planets like a nervous system and crushes any ship that strays too far into it. With all the adults onboard killed, the young astronauts will have to survive this long journey home in midst of the growing tension amongst each other. Meanwhile the organizers of the sabotage look on and prepare to attack once more. Watched it long ago, because it resembled space opera, and those memories are ambiguous at best. In fact it's another interpretation of Vifam, just with teenagers in place of pre-school kids. Some cool teenagers dealing maturely with arising problems sounds like a good concept , but teenagers here are rather bland or stereotypical , and a huge amount of time everyone just shouts at each other or has some emotional outbursts. Such story needs some solid source material to add uniqueness, but Sunrise original is something that guarantees exactly the opposite - all kinds of cliché.   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Koutetsu Tenshi Kurumi Steel Angel Kurumi 鋼鉄天使くるみ [OLM] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Historical, Mecha, Military Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Romance During Japan's Taisho Era (1912-1926), a scientist named Ayanokoji developed the Steel Angel - an artificial humanoid with superhuman physical abilities. While the Imperial Army wanted to use the Steel Angel as a new means of modern warfare, Ayanokoji wanted his creation to be a new step in the future of mankind. Thus, he defied orders from the Army and secretly made the Steel Angel codenamed "Kurumi". Then one day, a young boy named Nakahito Kagura snuck into Ayanokoji's house as a dare by his friends and stumbled upon Kurumi's lifeless body. A sudden attack by the Imperial Army shook the house, causing Kurumi to fall on Nakahito. At that moment, their lips met, and Kurumi woke up from "the kiss that started a miracle". Our usual boy suddenly getting an android girl plot, but this time in the beginning of 20th century, just for a change. Random adventure, attacking mecha and lots of fanservice ensues .   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Majutsushi Orphen: Revenge 魔術士オーフェンRevenge [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/23) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  Orphen and his gang has set out on an all new adventure with many monsters to battle and no peace and quiet. But a new friend has joined the group. Her name Lycorus who was sent to find Orphen. Many mysterious shadows are overhanging over head. Need to like prequel, but I prefer 2020 remake.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Jibaku-kun Bucky: The Incredible Kid ジバクくん [Trans Arts] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  Bucky, the protagonist of the history, is a normal boy that lives in the first world. He lives with a single and humble ambition: to dominate the world (in the sense of the whole planet). He is very certain and he would certainly die to reach his dream. One day he meets with Spark, the Great Child of Primas (World One). Spark is known as the strongest Great Child of all of the worlds, and he is a successor's search. After finding Bucky and talk a little with him, Spark without apparent reason choose Bucky his successor. Bucky has just become a Great Child and to win the company of Jibaki, the spirit of the first world. Not translated to English. Has quite a lot of nonsense humor, so does not look like I could enjoy it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Karakuri Zoushi Ayatsuri Sakon 人形草紙あやつり左近 [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Horror, Mystery, Suspense The dark-haired bishounen is Sakon Tachibana, a puppeteer, and the other is Ukon, his favorite puppet, and best friend. Sakon is the (only) grandson of Saemon Tachibana, a national treasure of Japan famous for his manipulation of Bunraku puppets. Ukon is a child doll puppet made in the early Meiji era by the famous female dollmaker Unosuke. Together they run into murders and solve them. Detective with more exotic coating. Need to appreciate the genre to comment on it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   14. Cybersix サイバーシックス [Telecom Animation Film] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Action, Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi  Anime based upon the original Argentine graphic novel series of the same name. The story follows the titular character who is a genetically engineered super-soldier; one of the creations of Dr. Von Reichter's diabolic experiments. (The fictional) Von Reichter is actually a former Nazi who conducted horrendous experiments during the second world war. He flees to South America where he continues his experiments which culminate in the creation of the "Cybers," one of which happens to be Cybersix. However, since the Cybers exhibit free will at an young age (an undesired trait), Von Reichter destroys all the Cybers to prevent a rebellion. In the present day, Cybersix is one of the Cybers who managed to escape and is living a quiet life under the alias of "Adrian Seidelman"; however, she finds out that her survival is dependent on a special substance that Von Reichter created and thus she is forced to hunt down the "Technos," a newer generation of super-soldiers created by him, in order to survive. Unintentionally, in the process, Cybersix becomes a superhero protecting the world from Dr. Von Reichter's creations and his evil plans. It's more of western show with western roots, western looking animation and designs, only official dub available and no subs. Compared to other typical western action animations, this one is indeed above average, but I'm not fan of western animation and its consistently horrible dub. At all.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Chikyuu Bouei Kigyou Dai-Guard Dai-Guard: Terrestrial Defense Corp. 地球防衛企業ダイ・ガード [Xebec] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha, Military Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Thirteen years after their sudden disappearance, an alien race known as the Heterodyne resurface without warning. To combat the Heterodyne, three office workers from the 21st Century Security Corporation operate Dai-Guard - a giant robot no longer regarded as an oversized paperweight. Unfortunately, Dai-Guard is somewhat obsolete and in disrepair. It's a tough job, but salarymen can also save the world. It's basically a parody on old mecha with some interesting findings and character interactions, but it does not stop to be just monster of the week mecha.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Cyborg Kuro-chan サイボーグクロちゃん [Studio Bogey] (Finished 3/66) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi  Kuro is just an ordinary cat who only wants to protect his owners who are an old couple that can't fend for themselves. One day while on a date with his girlfriend Pooly who is a dog, he is kidnapped by an evil scientist and turned into a robot. Kuro somehow removes the chip that controlled him and notices that people get scared with his new robotic appearance and that he can now talk like a human. He decides to disguise himself with the skin of a stuffed toy and to continue living as a pet. Partly translated. Rather absurd and simply drawn anthropomorphic comedy that I can't emphasize with.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Wild Arms: Twilight Venom Wild Arms ワイルドアームズ トワイライトヴェノム [Bee Train] (Finished 5/22) Tags: Vampire Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi This anime is based on a playstation game under the same title. The story is about four people who travel the desolated land of Filgaea and carve themselves a legendary story while they're at it. These adventurers are Sheyenne Rainstorm, a gunslinger who holds the legendary weapon called ARMs; Kiel Aromax, a scientist who looks like he should be carrying a sword; Roleta Oratorio the Crest Sorceress, a magic-user who uses cards called Crests to cast spells; and Mirabelle Graceland, one of the Noble Red, which are a family of vampiric creatures who live alongside human beings They also travel with cute little intelligent furry things, from the Popepi Pipepo Tribe, named Isaac and Jerusha. Source material is RPG game, so tempo is horrible and there's a lot of side-tracking from the already inarticulate story. Don't see anything for motivation to cling to.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Trouble Chocolate トラブルチョコレート  [AIC] (Finished 3/20) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi Cacao, a student at Micro Grand Academy, wakes up one morning to find a girl made of wood sleeping in bed with him. She is Hinano, a tree spirit who possessed the body of a wooden puppet after Cacao messed up his magic teacher's spell. Having taken an instant liking to Cacao, Hinano enrolls in his school. Between Hinano, monsters, two strange twins and their four-eyed cat master, a demon boy, odd teachers and students, and the fact that he may have the potential to be one of the greatest magic users of all time, Cacao's life seems to have taken several turns for the worse...and the weird. Another stereotypical boy finds a girl in his house anime. At the very least it's a parody that tries to present stupidity as self-irony.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Seraphim Call セラフィムコール [Sunrise] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi  Eleven young hearts with eleven dreams. Deep in their hearts, each girl has a secret dream of love and sadness. They meet together at Acropolis Tower to see if their dreams will come true. Imagine what happens when eleven average girls with eleven special talents join together to make the world a better place. I usually don't like anthologies, but for some reason I used to call this one 10/10. Now I still appreciate mind play, breaking of 4th wall , crazy stunt in 5-6 episodes, nice life lesson in 3rd episode, just varied cases of overcoming psychological barriers. It all deserves a minor masterpiece, and coming from a person who hates anthologies, that means something.   Overall Rating: 7/10   20. Mirai Shounen Conan 2: Taiga Daibouken Future Boy Conan 2: River Adventure 未来少年コナンII　タイガアドベンチャー [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/24) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi  An adventure story about "Ooparts Egg" and a huge stone statue called "Oobats" which was excavated from the remains of ancient times around two thousand years ago. Taiga travels around the world with his father, archeologist Dr. Daino. They come to South America to investigate ancient ruins discovered by treasure hunters. There they find a stone statue of a gigantic bird which is more than 50 meters long. How was this statue made more than 20,000 years ago? Who made it and for what purpose? To their surprise, the stone bird wakes up and flies away before their very eyes. They discover that this stone bird is called "Oobats" and that when it has "Ooparts Egg", it becomes a dangerous weapon which could destroy the whole universe. The stone bird in the ruins wakes up and flies away to seek Ooparts Egg! Taiga must not allow this to happen... Just one episode is translated, and - honestly - there's no will to watch it further. It's something like child Indiana Jones with Western drawing now and zero connection to original Future Boy Conan.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Rerere no Tensai Bakabon レレレの天才バカボン [Pierrot] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Gag Humor  Comedy This story contains a lot of humor and edgy jokes that attract an audience ranging from toddlers to adults. Bakabon and his father turn common sense on its head. After all, common sense, that we take for granted, is frequently nonsensical, but comical. Bakabon's father has his own philosophy and he leaves no stone unturned in his quest for answers. Bakabon joins him in his philosophical quests which drive the people in their town crazy. Not translated. It's the best version of Bakabon that I've seen so far, but there are a lot of versions ahead, even with translation.   Overall Rating: 6/10   22. Shuukan Storyland 週刊ストーリーランド [Satelight] (Finished 2/56) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life This was an anthology program containing several different anime each week along with some non-animated segments. Several of the animated films were short series including: Nazo no Rouba [謎の老婆] (tvss), Meibugyou Bun-san [名奉行・文さん], Jo Keibu Jinguuji Youko [女警部・神宮寺葉子], Remon Suzumori's Soudanjo [鈴森なんでも相談所]. Only two episodes seem to be translated. Both look very much like Laughting Salesman as mysterious item with wonderful power is bought and in the end it turns for the worse.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Gozonji! Gekkou Kamen-kun ごぞんじ！月光仮面くん  [Actas, TMS Entertainment] (Finished 0/25) Tags: Parody Comedy, Sci-Fi  Gekkou Kamen is retired on the moon, so his trusty motorbike returns to Earth to find a new hero to take over the job of defending the Earth from alien invaders. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   24. Weiß Kreuz OVA Knight Hunters OVA Weiß Kreuz ヴァイスクロイツ [Triangle Staff, animate Film] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Action, Drama  Someone out there is determined to see the fall of Weiss Kreuz, and it looks like they have found the perfect plan for it. The four assassins find themselves trapped in a deadly game of deceit, where the question of honor versus duty comes to surface. Now they must fight for their own reasons to survive--and there can be only be one victor in this field of death. Could not tolerate series for long, but why not refresh impression with OVA. Have to say that at such advanced stage action feels much better. It' still a simple revenge story, so far from enjoyable.   Overall Rating: 6/10   25. Sakura Taisen: Gouka Kenran Sakura Wars 2: Return of the Spirit Warriors サクラ大戦 轟華絢爛 [Radix] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Mecha, Performing Arts Adventure, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life The end of the demon wars has ended and now the Flower Division has been able to rest up after their fighting. The second Sakura Wars developes studies on every Flower Division Combatee in every episode while they go on their miscellanious adventures around Japan. So let's wrap it up. First season was useless because it only finalized gathering of the team. Now second season is useless again, because it's a pause now and time to concentrate on the team again. Does it have any story at all? Because I'm starting to have second thoughts. Basically, one more filler season that can be safely skipped.   Overall Rating: 5/10   26. Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! 2 DX Pia キャロット へ ようこそ!! 2 DX [Garyuu Studio] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Comedy, Romance  Kouji wants to work part-time, so, when he saw a cute girl with the Pia Carrot uniform, he tried to get a job there. When he's on the way, he accidentally bumped Azusa, and with some misunderstanding, they literally hate each other. What is the surprise of Kouji when he finds that she also got a job in the Pia Carrot, facing her daily. But as time passes, he will discover that 'hate' is not the appropriate word to describe his feelings... If fulfils role of easygoing cute romcom just right, but best to approach it in the fitting mood.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Kaitouranma The Animation 快刀乱麻 THE ANIMATION  [animate Film] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Martial Arts, Samurai Action, Adventure It is the late Edo period, and there are many who desire to usurp the Tokugawa shogunate. Shinjuro Tateoka is the unassuming son of a notable dojo's leader. When his father Tessyusai is suddenly sent on a mission by the shogunate, the dojo's management falls into Shinjuro's hands. After losing most of its regular students, the dojo welcomes several young girls into its walls. Despite the changes, life at the swordsmanship school is surprisingly peaceful—until the shogunate calls upon all prominent dojos to patrol the city following a slew of burglaries. Now facing a group of cunning thieves who seem to have greater aims than just stealing a few treasures, Shinjuro struggles to find a balance between his exciting life with beautiful women and the needs of the government. Game had too difficult systems, so I'm glad there is anime. Dojo management story during Tokugawa coup was well within expectations range - decent.   Overall Rating: 6/10   28. Choushin Hime Dangaizer 3 超神姫ダンガイザー3 [KSS] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi, Ecchi 10,000 years ago, acting as judge, jury and executioner, Dangaizer sealed the fate of mankind by reducing it to ashes. Slowly, mankind rebuilt their civilization and once again stands at its peak. Hiding amongst the survivors of mankind, the evil organization of Goma lies in wait for the return of Dangaizer. This time, it’s a race to stop the awakening of the 3 that can pilot Dangaizer and subjugate the world to their rule. Will the 3rd pilot learn her true destiny and awaken in time, or will the world find a new destiny in the hands of Goma? Can't remember mecha with ecchi elements, so it might be first such fusion. And it looks a bit off as girls have to fight other girls in a flashy way and mecha opposes other mecha.   Overall Rating: 5/10   29. Street Fighter Zero The Animation ストリートファイターZERO THE ANIMATION  [Plum] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Martial Arts, Super Power Action, Drama Ryu, the current Street Fighter champion, must overcome the power of the "Dark Hadou" which consumed Akuma, the brother of his sensei, Gouken. Plus, he deals with the unexpected arrival of Shun, a young boy who proclaims to be his long-lost brother. It should be a treat for fans, but for outsiders rather average and not without drawbacks.   Overall Rating: 5/10   30. Kochira Katsushikaku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo The Movie Kameari Park Precinct  [Gallop] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Adult Cast, Detective, Gag Humor Action, Comedy, Mystery The wicked multi-billionaire, Shinatora, builds wretched, ugly buildings. The explosives genius calling himself Benten has targeted Shinatora's empire and begins to destroy the monstrosities that are wiping out whole sections of downtown Tokyo. In cooperation with the local police force, the FBI has sent Lisa Hoshino, a bomb disposal expert, and her robot assistant, Dandy, on a lecture tour of Japan. Ryotsu is reluctantly paired with Lisa to protect the people of the Kameari district. Why does Benten only target Shinatora's buildings? What is his next target? Another email warning arrives at the Katsushika Police Station. Benten's next target is the newly built, gigantic amusement park, Shinatora World. Lisa and Ryotsu hurry to the scene. What they find is a huge Soviet-era rocket armed with a massive bomb powerful enough to obliterate the entire area of Katsushika. What can Ryotsu do? Goofy policeman is still funny, and now there are also two more female protagonists. The action part of the film with bombs disarming was not as good.   Overall Rating: 6/10
  13. kivandopulus
    Can't call anything masterpiece , but Hajime no Ippo is the closest to it.    1. InuYasha 犬夜叉  [Sunrise] (Finished 3/167) Tags: Historical, Mythology, Time Travel Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural Kagome Higurashi's 15th birthday takes a sudden turn when she is forcefully pulled by a demon into the old well of her family's shrine. Brought to the past, when demons were a common sight in feudal Japan, Kagome finds herself persistently hunted by these vile creatures, all yearning for an item she unknowingly carries: the Shikon Jewel, a small sphere holding extraordinary power. Amid such a predicament, Kagome encounters a half-demon boy named Inuyasha who mistakes her for Kikyou, a shrine maiden he seems to resent. Because of her resemblance to Kikyou, Inuyasha takes a violent dislike to Kagome. However, after realizing the dire circumstances they are both in, he sets aside his hostility and lends her a hand. Unfortunately, during a fight for the Shikon Jewel, the miraculous object ends up shattered into pieces and scattered across the land. Fearing the disastrous consequences of this accident, Kagome and Inuyasha set out on a challenging quest to recover the shards before they fall into the wrong hands. I honestly fail to understand what to like here at all. Just less funny Dragonball with female protagonist and jokes as if from Urusei Yatsura.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Hajime no Ippo Fighting Spirit はじめの一歩 THE FIGHTING!  [Madhouse] (Finished 3/75) Tags: Shounen Combat Sports  In his father's absence, teenager Ippo Makunouchi works hard to help his mother run her fishing boat rental business. Ippo's timid nature, his lack of sleep, and the sea smell make him an easy target for relentless bullies who leave him bruised and beaten on a daily basis. Mamoru Takamura, an up-and-coming boxer, rescues Ippo from a violent after-school incident and takes him back to the Kamogawa Boxing Gym for recovery. Takamura and his fellow boxers, Masaru Aoki and Tatsuya Kimura, are stunned by Ippo's powerful punches—a result of strong muscles developed through years serving his physically taxing family business. Following brief training under Takamura, Ippo impresses the other boxers in a practice match against prodigy Ichirou Miyata. He gains a rival in Miyata and a coach in Genji Kamogawa, the gym owner and a former boxer himself. As Ippo takes the first steps in his official boxing career, he faces off against a series of challenging opponents, each more powerful than the last. Victory, loss, and a cycle of dedicated training await Ippo on his journey to achieve greatness. With his tough body and unstoppable fighting spirit, the kind young man seeks to take on the world. Never tried it as it's spokon, and the only thing that interests me here is what makes it special, just like in all the other famous anime in the genres I detest. And my answer is that there is nothing special, just a little talent and a lot of diligence , practice and endurance, thus the title. Concept is basically taken from Ashita no Joe where enemies were more interesting than protagonist. But Joe was an adult hooligan dealing with homeless children , so he was rather difficult to empathize with. A totally normal kid is a better material for a lasting story. And with that I'll consider this gestalt closed.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Gakkou no Kaidan Ghost Stories 学校の怪談 [Pierrot] (Finished 3/19) Tags: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural Years ago, all of the ghosts in a haunted schoolhouse were banished by a certain student. Now, they're back—and they want revenge... Satsuki and Keiichirou Miyanoshita are two siblings recovering from the tragic loss of their mother. After moving to their mother's hometown, they learn that the local school they have transferred to is an old building—one said to be haunted. Despite initially brushing it off as a silly rumor, the two soon discover that ghosts are indeed real and that they're after them! Gakkou no Kaidan is the creepy tale of the lives of these siblings and their newfound friends as they try to survive the school's ghosts—with a little help from their pet cat along the way. Could not care less about dub, original anime is trash with the only redeeming quality being that it tries to be bright and even humorous for the most part and gets dark only around climax.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Vandread ヴァンドレッド [Gonzo] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Mecha, Space Action, Sci-Fi, Ecchi  In Vandread, men are from Mars and women are from Venus! Well, not quite. Technology has allowed mankind to colonize the entire Milky Way galaxy, and in one star system, the men and women live on two different planets, Taraak and Mejere. A bitter and very literal gender war rages, to the point where they don't even see each other as the sames species anymore! Hibiki Tokai, a male third-class laborer from Taraak, ends up stuck on a battleship after a botched attempt at stealing a robot. When female pirates capture the Taraakian Vanguard, things don't look like they could get any worse for Hibiki. Unfortunately, they do; when the male crew of the Vanguard fire on their captured vessel out of desperation, they created a giant wormhole, which sucks the Vanguard and the Mejeran pirate's ships into itself! Now, stuck far away from their home planets, these men and women must learn to work together if they ever wish to make it back home. This anime knows well that it's going to be silly mecha with CGI, so it adapts absurd plot and is ready to go to extremes such as flattest possible gender humor. Need to have an ability to turn off head to keep watching it to the end without any loss of self-respect.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Argento Soma アルジェント ソーマ [Sunrise] (Finished 4/25) Tags: Mecha, Military Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi In the year 2059, the earth has been plagued by aliens for several years. In an effort to learn more about these aliens, Dr. Noguchi and his assistants Maki Agata and Takuto Kaneshiro try to revive the professor's experiment, a large Bio-Mechanical alien named Frank. During this process the alien comes to 'life' and the lab is subsequently destroyed leaving Takuto the only survivor and the alien disappearing into the wilderness. While Frank roams the wilderness he meets Hattie, an emotionally distressed young girl whose parents are killed in the first 'close encounter' war. Oddly enough she is able to communicate with Frank and soon after they are taken into custody by a secret agency known only as 'Funeral'. Meanwhile, Takuto wakes up in a hospital bed with his life in shambles, and his face disfigured. Motivated by vengeance and heart break, Takuto accepts an offer from the mysterious 'Mr. X' and receives a new identity as a ranking Funeral officer named Ryu Soma. Sunrise original always sounds very suspicious, because it usually means targeting as large audience as possible, and the easiest way to it is imitation of already popular products, namely, Eva. Maybe it changes drastically on the way, but first four episodes don't leave the slightest desire to keep going.  .   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Jinzou Ningen Kikaider The Animation 人造人間キカイダーTHE ANIMATION [Radix] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Shounen Mecha Action, Drama, Sci-Fi The genius robotics professor, Dr. Komyoji has created Kikaider—a humanoid robot tasked with the protection of Dr. Komyoji's son and daughter. Gifted with the conscience circuit, Kikaider is given the power to simulate real emotions that helps to distinguish between "right and wrong." Can Kikaider protect Dr. Komyoji's children and battle against the evil Dr. Gill and his army of androids? The fight against world domination lies in the hands of Kikaider. It feels so terribly old... because its source material is kids only and lies in the early 70s. The result is slow, boring, cliché series.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Shoubushi Densetsu Tetsuya 勝負師伝説哲也 [Toei Animation] (Finished 2/20) Tags: Shounen Historical, Strategy Game  In the year 1947, the people of Shinjuku are down on their luck. With little money to buy food or necessities, some resort to gambling in order to survive. Traveling Tetsuya chooses to spend his time at Mahjong parlors where he is wiping the floor clean with his adversaries. However, when Tetsuya meets the intensely skilled Boushu-san, he realizes that his skills are still lacking. I'm at a total loss when it comes to mahjong anime, because it looks and sounds total gibberish. And since there's not much besides gambling, can't even evaluate it. Watching an anime that relies on luck and momentum after Kaiji... feels so wrong.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Sci-fi Harry サイファイハリー  [APPP] (Finished 4/20) Tags: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi  Harry is definitely not your average American teenager. Instead, he is the epitome of an "alienated youth"—friendless at school, extremely weird, and nervous to the point of paranoia. But a chance occurrence causes Harry to start to demonstrate what appear to be psychic powers—yet he neither believes in them nor consciously controls them. However, there are other ominous forces at work who do believe in Harry and attempt to make use of him in ways that are threatening and frightful. It's once again collection of elements I can't stand. Ugly drawn psychic detective thriller with protagonist so indecisive that he can't tie several words together.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Dotto Koni-chan .Koni-chan ドッとKONIちゃん [Shaft] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Comedy  Koni (whose character is based on the famous Sumo-wrestler) and his gang have lots of crazy and incoherent adventures in their town. From fighting with their "Lovely-Teacher" and dealing with Samurai fish, to confirming if "The Armored-Guy's" wife has an affair and saving the world, Koni, High, Moro, Nari and Afro, the Afro-dog, do the craziest and funniest things to have fun. Not translated to English. Absurd episodic comedy with three stories inside each episode. Feels horrible like any absurd comedy.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Gear Fighter Dendoh GEAR戦士 電童 [Sunrise] (Finished 3/38) Tags: Mecha, School, Space Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi The story takes place in the future where war machines from evil mechanical alien empire Garufa finally reaches Earth. In order to protect earth, an Earth defense organization called GEAR (Guard Earth and Advanced Reconnaissance) is formed. GEAR has an ultimate weapon in a form of war mecha, GEAR Fighter Dendoh, which is piloted by two elementary school students, namely Kusanagi Hokuto and Izumo Ginga. Can the friendship between Hokuto and Ginga unleashed the full potential power of Dendoh in order to fight Garufa? Kids would have a hard time watching Argento Soma, so to milk this audience as well let's make another mecha just for kids. Terrible as everything Sunrise does specially for kids.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Karakuri Kiden: Hiwou Senki Hiwou War Chronicles 機巧奇傳　ヒヲウ戦記 [Bones] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Historical, Mecha Action, Adventure 8 years ago, Western Civilization visited 19th century Japan. Mechanized dolls and new steam-powered creations began spreading throughout the country. The Wind Gang is a group of doll and steam users who believe in using their creations to violently bring about a new Industrial Era. They attack and destroy the peaceful village of a young doll user named Hiwou one day. Hiwou and his friends escape with a giant doll named Homura. Hiwou now wants to find his father, so that he can help defeat the Wind Gang, and bring peace back to Japan. Pre-school kids accompanied by giant mecha in Edo period competing in clockwork dolls with Wind Gang - what could possibly go wrong? So much effort is wasted on a nonsense concept like that.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Mutekiou Tri-Zenon Invincible King Tri-Zenon 無敵王トライゼノン [E&G Films] (Finished 3/22) Tags: Mecha Sci-Fi During the Edo Period, 3 mysterious space capsules were sent down to earth. Fear that it might bring chaos to the earth, the humans at that time buried these 3 objects down beneath the ground and entrusted a piece of descriptive map to the Kamui family. Today, these 3 objects were awaken one by one. The first to awaken, Tri-Zenon, one of the Zenon Guardians is now driven by the descendant of the Kamui family, Akira Kamui, his brother Ai Kamui and his friend Kanna. Aliens who descend to earth with a purpose will now have to face Tri-Zenon. Another nonsense mecha for kids with plastic characters antics. It manages to be both stupid and absolutely undistinguished at the same time.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Sin: The Movie  [Phoenix Entertainment] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Detective Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Supernatural In Sin, Blade must unravel a series of mysterious kidnappings. As he delves into the city's merciless underworld, an elaborate mystery unfold; at is heart, the SinTEK corporation and its leader, the ruthless and beautiful Elexis Sinclair. A Brilliant biochemist, Sinclair will stop at nothing to achieve her goal: a plan that could force the next step of human evolution-or spell doom for mankind. It's mostly just violent fighting action with poor explanations, and after another action cycle it just ends. I've seen worse.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. De:vadasy Devadasy 創世聖紀デヴァダシー  [Studio Gazelle] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mecha, Psychological Action, Ecchi For young men like Kei, life is still plagued by nothing but homework and girl trouble. When an unknown force besieges Earth with robotic war machines, however, it is Kei who is chosen to defend the human race. Another weird game adaptation. Peaceful SOL constantly interchanges with bloody mecha fights and masturbation needed for that. It tries to mimic EVA mental distortion and ends with a fluke.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Grandeek  [Group TAC, animate Film] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy  This is a tale of swords and sorcery as the young warrior-woman Tia Allbright and her hapless assistant, Luke, battle demon assassins in a fantasy land. Tia arrives on the island of Marcleida with her trusted sword 'Grandeek,' which holds a spirit within that helps her on her quests. She is soon turned away however. Determined to get on the island, Tia searches for a way past the fences that guard the entrance, as another stranger arrives on the island to take on a mysterious job. Someone has been killing the inhabitants of the island and has the ability to appear and disappear at will. Seems the sword 'Aihorn' has been stolen and the spirit that resides within it seeks vengenance on those who killed its master 50 years before. As Tia makes her way inside the island, it becomes clear that both she, and the stranger, are after the sword Aihorn, hoping to bring to an end its bloody goal. But the sword has the ability to possess the person who wields it - putting Tia and the stranger at a great disadvantage. Based on the manga by Kohime Ohse, Tia and Grandeek will have to face their most difficult challenge yet... Hard to weave a good story in 40 minutes... especially with no efforts applied to make it coherent. Narration constantly jumps among different stuff with unclear time sequence. There's a girl who seeks a way into town, there are two swordsmen who investigate murders and search for a girl, there are cadavers, scenes with swordsman getting wounded, some women at unknown location , some girl behind bars and it just goes on and on... By the very end all the characters get somewhere close to each other and sword evil nature is getting dealt with somehow. Such lousy directorship should not exist at all .   Overall Rating: 4/10   16. With You: Mitsumeteitai With You ~みつめていたい~  [Arms] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Love Polygon, School Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance Based on a H-game with the same title released by Cocktail Soft in 1998, With You: Mitsumeteitai focuses on love triangle between the main characters who were childhood friends. They were separated because one of them had to move to Myanmar (an Asian country formerly known as Burma). After six years, they are re-united again and the story begins... Never finished the game, so was glad to learn about all the connected mythology stuff. Quite a typical early visual novel plot, but good to know the basics.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Blood: The Last Vampire BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE (ブラッド ザ ラスト ヴァンパイア) [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Gore, Vampire Award Winning, Horror, Supernatural  Teropterids are evil beasts which pose as humans and live only to drink human blood. Fortunately for the human world there are groups dedicated to destroying them. A brooding and mysterious girl named Saya is the best teropterid slayer there is, and now, in 1960s Japan, she is sent to a U. S. army base which may be infested... It's pure fighting action, so can't be rated too high.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Aa! Megami-sama! Movie 劇場版　ああっ女神さまっ [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Romance, Supernatural For centuries, a god named Celestin has been imprisoned on the moon for betraying the kingdom of Yggdrasil. Released by the fairy Morgan Le Fey, Celestin travels to Earth to reunite with his former pupil, the goddess Belldandy. Things go awry as Celestin erases Belldandy's memories of her boyfriend Keiichi and uses her as a catalyst to wreak havoc on Earth and Yggdrasil. I was glad that it's continuation and not retelling, but OVA was dealing with departure for last episodes and movie ... deals with departure again, just great. I'm not fan of this franchise or anything, and this probably is a logical ending to TV series, but after OVA it looks really bad as it's almost the same ending, just with more communication with Heavens. And if you ask me right now what the series is about, I'll say that I don't know because all forces in the world are constantly trying to separate main characters so they hardly have a chance to talk at all .   Overall Rating: 5/10
  14. kivandopulus
    Calm before the storm of titles in spring. No masterpieces again, my favor goes to Animation Seisaku Shinkou Kuromi-chan   1. Grappler Baki (TV) グラップラー刃牙  [Group TAC] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Shounen Combat Sports, Gore, Martial Arts Action, Sports Ever since he was born, Baki Hanma has always known nothing but fighting—strengthening every single muscle and learning different techniques from various martial arts under the supervision of his mother, Emi Akezawa. He trains in order to prepare himself to face and eventually surpass his own father, Yuujirou Hanma, a man feared by the masses as the "Ogre" and deemed the strongest being in the world. However, when Baki realizes his mother's techniques are no longer enough, he sets out to become stronger in his own way. Seeking out powerful opponents and forming unbreakable bonds with them, he continues to grow both body and his soul, as the clock continues to tick closer toward the inevitable showdown against his father... This series is well done and fulfils niche of exotic boxer - as Ashita no Joe was - just fine. It still loses to Hajime no Ippo which I don't consider masterpiece as well.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna 地球少女アルジュナ [Satelight] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi  Juna Ariyoshi is an ordinary Japanese schoolgirl, who possesses a childlike curiosity and a strong admiration toward nature. One day, while on a trip with her boyfriend, Tokio Oshima, Juna dies from a motorcycle accident. However, she is given a chance to live by an individual named Chris Hawken. He offers her powers that make her the avatar of time; in exchange, she must fight to protect the Earth from evil forces called raaja, which are born out of the toxic pollution human beings have caused. She soon discovers that this is no easy task. While trying to master her newfound powers, she must also seek answers to deep questions about the ways science and technology have taken away humans' primal and instinctive connections with nature. With the help of Chris, his assistant Cindy Klein, and a powerful international organization named SEED, it is up to Juna to overcome her fears and find a way to stop the raaja from destroying everyone and everything she cares for. It tries to play into ecology and transform heroine from mahou shoujo into something more advanced, but the gist remains the same, and it remains a beautiful bore with CGI.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Zoids Shinseiki/Zero Zoids: New Century ゾイド新世紀／ゼロ [Xebec] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Sports Zoids—powerful animal-shaped combat mechs—are no longer used in warfare, but in organized sporting competitions. The Blitz Team, a group of pilots struggling to carve out a niche for themselves in the Zoid battling leagues, experience a stroke of luck when Bit Cloud, a vagrant junk dealer, wanders into their midst and proves himself capable of piloting the temperamental Liger Zero, a Zoid that refuses to let anyone else into its cockpit. Led by Bit and the Liger, the Blitz Team steadily make their way to the top—but along the way they attract the unwelcome attention of the Backdraft Group, an organization of Zoid pilots that operates outside the laws set down by the Zoid Battle Commission. The Backdraft want powerful Zoids to add to their ranks, and they have their eye on the Liger Zero... With only dub available can't tolerate it for long. Still bad.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Motto! Ojamajo Doremi も〜っと！おジャ魔女どれみ [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/50) Tags: Shoujo Comedy, Fantasy After losing their magical abilities, the girls once again become witches. However, now they have to go through tests from the Witches of the Witch World. They also meet a new member from New York, Momoko. Third season already, so useless to say anything.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Tales of Eternia The Animation Tales of Eternia テイルズ オブ エターニア THE ANIMATION [Xebec] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance In order to prevent the catastrophe called the Grand Fall, Rid Hershel and his companions Farah, Keel and Meredy have obtained the three Greater Spirits ("Craymels" in the game version) of Inferia. En route to Mount Farlos, Rid is kidnapped by the bounty hunter Marone Blucarno, and the party is compelled to head to Belcarnu, an archipelago far from the major cities of Inferia. A series of adventures forces them to remain on the islands, where a more immediate threat to Inferia sleeps. It's a filler side-story to feed on game's fame. Since it does not have much in the story department, it tries to imbue more depth into personalities... and it's done in the familiar way by slapstick comedy and fanservice.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Salaryman Kintarou サラリーマン金太郎 [JCF] (Finished 3/20) Tags: Seinen Martial Arts Comedy, Drama The story follows Kintaro, former leader of a widely feared and respected biker gang, who decides that its time to "straighten out" and become a "salaryman" since his wife died and he has to take care of his young son. GTO is liked, because characters behave in a realistic way . Kintarou problem is that it is unrealistic in both personalities and behavior. How believable is that Kintarou job is sharpening pencils to earn his salary? R u freaking serious. All women love him... because he was a hooligan in a band... sure...  Too many issues like that make the whole concept just playground for showing off.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Hakaima Sadamitsu Sadamitsu the Destroyer 破壊魔定光 [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/10) Tags: Seinen Mecha, School Action, Sci-Fi Sadamitsu, a high-school delinguents turned to a masked-hero, while not dealing with his rocky relationship with the strong female protagonist, he puts on a motorcycle-helmet-like mask and becomes a semi-robotic superhero who fights. He is assisted by other possibly- mechanical creatures in order to save the earth from the invasion of 20,000,000 escaped alien convicts. A generic action, something like toned down Guyver with comedy and even romance.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku The Daichis: Earth's Defense Family 地球防衛家族 [Group TAC] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Action, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi  The Daichis are a family in danger of tearing itself apart. Dissatisfied and money obsessed mom Seiko has served wimpy and otaku dad Mamoru with divorce papers. Daughter Nozomi who has always been saddled with all the housework, feels pained that everyone is using her. The youngest albeit most foul mouthed, Dai is forced to watch all this as everything is going to pieces. However when the Galaxy Federation recruits the Daichis to combat alien threats to the wellbeing of the Earth, it will be a chance for the family to save the world and maybe themselves. Don't remember a single interesting media piece about superhero family. As a parody, it tries to be everything and wants to show as much action as possible. Just noisy senseless mess.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Nekojiru-sou Cat Soup [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Anthropomorphic, Psychological Avant Garde, Award Winning, Comedy The main character, a cat named Nyatto, embarks upon a journey to save his sister's soul, which was ripped in two when Nyatto tried to save her from Death. She trails after him, brain-dead. They encounter many brilliant, mind-bending situations, beginning with a disturbing magic show. I strongly believe that piece of media without words can't be good. This one is both wordless and absurd. The end.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Puni Puni☆Poemii Puni Puni Poemy ぷにぷに☆ぽえみぃ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/2) Tags: Gag Humor, Mahou Shoujo Comedy, Sci-Fi Poemi Watanabe (a.k.a. Kobayashi) is a 10-year-old girl with aspirations of being a famous voice actress. Unfortunately, her school grades are bad and her voice acting is even worse. But when a mysterious alien kills her parents and wreaks havoc all over Tokyo, Poemi grabs a talking fish, skins it into a wand and becomes the magical girl Puni Puni Poemi to save the day. I can't even watch second episode. Excel saga humor is that bad.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Animation Seisaku Shinkou Kuromi-chan Animation Runner Kuromi アニメーション制作進行くろみちゃん [Yumeta Company] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Otaku Culture, Parody Comedy, Drama After being inspired by the fictional anime, "Luis Monde III", Mikiko "Kuromi" Oguro goes to animation school and finally lands the job of her dreams at Studio Petit. Upon arriving, she meets the head of production. Unfortunately for her, he dies soon after meeting her and passes his position unto her. Now that she's head of production of "Time Journeys", it's up to her to rally up the lazy animator's and finish the second episode in a week. I generally enjoy anime about production, but... under 40 minutes? I know I called Battle Angel Alita 10/10 with just 55 minutes length, but it had lots of intense storytelling over that time. Can't make exceptions for comedy SOL though.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Zone of the Enders: 2167 Idolo Z.O.E. 2167 Idolo  [Sunrise] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi Z.O.E. 2167 Idolo takes place a few years prior to the events of the series Z.O.E Dolores, i, and is centered on the "Deimos Incident," an act of terrorism by the Mars revolutionaries. The BAHRAM army pilots Radium and Viola are the best in their class, and have such have been chosen to do spearhead testing on a new type of weapon; Mars hopes this weapon will liberate them from the UNSF's (United Nations Space Force) tyranny. This new technology called the "Orbital Frame," is powered by an extremely rare and powerful source of energy known as the Metatron ore. Never heard of Z.O.E. games. It's alright as prequel, but rather boring as a separate piece.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Spirit of Wonder: Shounen Kagaku Club ザスピリットオブワンダー : 少年科學倶楽部 [Ajia-Do] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Seinen Space Drama, Sci-Fi The now 50 year old Scientific Boys Club decides to built a ship that sails to Mars on the "Ethereal Current" - a thesis of the wife of a club member which claims that the universe is flooded with Ethereal energy. On this stream they travel to Mars in order to prove an old theory about channels on Mars built by Martians, but there is no life. Many years later, when both theories are considered to be nonsense, a Mars expedition discovers a stone with the inscription "Scientific Boys Club 1954". I absolutely loathed first Spirit of Wonder OVA and this one is only slightly better. Have a look at something super short and incoherent, but supposedly related to science, and be happy about it... because... science? Incompetent and shallow.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Sabaku no Kuni no Oujosama The Princess of the Desert Kingdom さばくの国の王女さま [Toei Animation] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy When the spring that supplies water to her kingdom dries up, the Princess decides to go into the desert in search of a faraway oasis that is said to exist. The Princess and her animal friends face many challenges in their journey to save the draught-stricken kingdom. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10
  15. kivandopulus
    Strange Dawn made my day. Vampire Hunter D (2000) also deserves a mention.   1. Hand Maid May HAND MAID メイ   [TNK] (Finished 3/10) Tags: Harem Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Saotome Kazuya is a computer whiz. One day his friend Nanbara, threatens him with a computer virus. Trying to stop the virus, Kazuya ends up making a special order. May is a cyberdoll that arrives at his door a few minutes later and she is 1/6th the size of a normal person, which makes for many awkward situations. Not to mention the fact Kazuya can't even afford to keep May. Cyberdyne is not satisfied with Kazuya's non-payments and will do anything to retrieve CBD May. One of the most boring slapstick comedies that I've seen in a while. I don't even see Moe here, actually, don't see absolutely anything of interest. If there is any humor, it's of lowest quality.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Medarot Damashii Medabots Spirits メダロット魂 [Trans Arts] (Finished 1/39) Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi The sequel to the famous Medabots series, following the continuing adventures of Ikki and Metabee. The two encountered a strange enemy named Jinkai and the so called Death Medabots. Along with Nae and Erica, they will defeat Jinkai and the Death Medabots. Same kids stuff.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Brigadoon: Marin to Melan Brigadoon ブリガドーン まりんとメラン [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi  Marin is a typical junior high school girl with a sunny disposition and a loving adoptive family. Her life takes a drastic change when a mysterious mirage is seen in the sky above the entire earth. Killer androids called Monomakia descend to earth from the formation in the sky called Brigadoon and begin to hunt down little Marin. She discovers a blue bottle in a shrine as she seeks escape and from the bottle comes a protector, a sword carrying gun slinging alien called Melan Blue, together they must save the earth and deal with family crisis, school prejudice and the police and come to an understanding of Marins past and Melans unexplained mission, as well as learn to trust each other. Set in 1969 Japan with a colorful cast of friends and enemies. Finally Sunrise starts experimenting with mecha, namely, mecha here are small and of different shapes. Main genre is nonsense comedy, but with occasional serious drama elements. There's no real plot to develop, so need to enjoy flow or characters to keep watching. And count me out on both.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Strange Dawn ストレンジ・ドーン  [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Isekai Adventure, Drama, Fantasy Yuko and Eri are two normal girls who are sucked into the alternate world filled with tiny people. The people of this mysterious world sees them as their "Great Protectors" who can protect their land in a time of strife. The two girls set out on a mission with a group of warriors from the village to find out how they were brought here and how might they return home. However, there is a war brewing and these two Great Protectors are the political tool that every faction lusts for to rally the people to their side. Wow, what a surprising and pleasant ride. Isekai is still my favorite genre. What I especially liked is natural and believable reactions of high school student girls, nice system of politics with three factions and some rivaling leaders inside factions, humor overall, including great running jokes about worms and shoes. Second half got a bit loose after girls split up, but ending after reuniting impressed. Plot scale is not big enough to grant it something more than minor masterpiece, but this anime definitely needs some highlight as I never heard about it before.   Overall Rating: 7/10   5. eX-Driver エクスドライバー  [Actas ] (Finished 3/6) Tags: Racing Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Ex-Driver is set in the future, when all transportation is easily controlled by AI. Though like all machines they tend to break down or lose control or re-programmed. This is where three high schoolers with non AI cars, Subaru WRX, Super 7, Lotus comes in to save the day and make sure the public is safe at all times. I can only enjoy non-racing parts in racing anime, and this one does not have much to offer on the side.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Honoo no Labyrinth Labyrinth Of Flames 炎のらびりんす [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Samurai Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi Meet Galan, a Russian spastic geek who`d do anything to be a real, live samurai. But that`s just an impossible dream... or is it? When his friend Natsu, who is a successor of Japanese emigrants family, gives him the gift of an ancient sword, strange events unfold, and even stranger people drop out of the sky to attack. Now Galan must overcome his ineptitude and join a bunch of beautiful women in a wacky romp through a kingdom that time forgot. Hey, what could be better? It's too short , fanservice-heavy and unserious to rate it highly. But it's sure decent among trashy comedies.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Koutetsu Tenshi Kurumi Encore Steel Angel Kurumi Encore 鋼鉄天使くるみ 25-28話 [OLM] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Historical Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi Four additional short stories of the Steel Angels: Saki becomes a film actress, Karinka goes on a blind date with Kamihito, Kurumi practices the art of becoming a traditional Japanese woman, and the rest of the Steel Angels engage in a contest to win Nakahito's heart. Too few new titles this season, so can't afford luxury of blocking even supplementary season ovas. Anyway, just fanservice OVA in both senses as personality highlights and even more ecchi.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Kirara  [Ashi Productions] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life, Supernatural, Ecchi Twenty-four-year-old Kirara is on her way to her wedding when she is killed in a car accident. However her love for her fiance is so strong that she is permitted to return to earth as a ghost to see him. But she is sent back 8 years in time, to when she and her fiancé first met. However her own meddling in the past may make her 16 year-old-self turn away from her would-be fiance. Great. Ghost tries to seduce a high-school student. There's no end to stupidity in here.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Geobreeders 2: Mouryou Yuugekitai File-XX Ransen Toppa ジオブリーダーズ２ 魍魎遊撃隊 [Chaos Project] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Taba and the Girls of Kagura Total Security Inc. are at it again. This time they have to battle a Gang of Phantom Cats and a mysterious enemy and assassin. And there are the run ins with the Government, the need for a new office, as well as sorting out the past to deal with. Luckily, they've got a stock pile of weapons and super technology to help. Original OVA had weird concept, rather bland characters and weak nonsense comedy. Doubt anyone waited for continuation, but here we are with all poor elements intact and some blood with ecchi added. Average in most aspects.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Vampire Hunter D (2000) Vampire Hunter D : Bloodlust バンパイアハンターD [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Vampire Action, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi The story revolves around D, the infamous "dhampir" (born of a vampire father and a human mother) outcast and renowned vampire hunter. His prowess at hunting the creatures of the night allowing his acceptance among humans, he is called upon to locate Charlotte Elbourne, the lovely daughter of an affluent family who has been mysteriously kidnapped. When the sun sets, the hunt goes on! Charlotte's father offers a rich bounty, be she dead or alive, a task D willingly accepts, even with notorious Markus brothers and their gang of bounty hunters seeking the prize as well. Amidst the chase and unknown to all lurks, a sinister evil which has been secretly manipulating their every move and has set a chilling trap that none will expect and few will survive. With the tables turned and the secrets revealed, the hunters could quickly become the hunted! On one hand, it's brainless action with predictable flow from the moment Leila rode bike towards D, and I'm sorry for invested time. On other hand, it's almost flawlessly done movie with given concept. Lastly, I usually evaluate highly stories like Gantz:O where an omnipotent team faces even more overwhelming force. I guess I can still call it a minor honorary masterpiece by sum of factors.   Overall Rating: 7/10   11. Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: Fuuin Sareta Card 劇場版 カードキャプターさくら 封印されたカード [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance For this year's Nadeshiko Festival, Sakura Kinomoto's elementary school class is presenting a play. She will portray a princess who struggles to respond to the love confession of the neighboring country's prince. Sakura empathizes with her character all too well, since she herself still owes an answer to the boy who confessed his love for her four months ago. When cousins Shaoran and Meiling Li return from Hong Kong to pay a surprise visit to their friends in Japan, Sakura receives further encouragement to finally declare her feelings. However, she is repeatedly distracted by a presence reminiscent of a Clow Card as well as unexplained disappearances around town. Eventually, Sakura learns of another of Clow Reed's creations—the "Nothing"—which was formerly sealed away beneath the magician's old house. It has power equal to all 52 cards Sakura possesses, and furthermore, it wants to take those cards away from her! Objects, space, and people disappear from Tomoeda with each card that is stolen. Sakura sets out to capture the Nothing so everything will return to normal, but what must she sacrifice in the process? A much better movie with focus on school, and there is even song here. Concept is still alien to me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Kaze wo Mita Shounen 風を見た少年 [Brain's Base] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy  Young boy Amon has mysterious powers. His dad is the cheif scientist for the Empire of the Golden Snake. He's invented weapons for this country in the past, but does not want his boy's powers to be used for destruction so he burns his research and tries to escape the country with his family. The mom and dad die in the escape and only Amon is left. He runs from the military, ends up on an island where he learns about the ancient people who could fly on the wind and talk to animals (as he can). Amon then ends up in a fishermen's village and makes friends with Maria. After this village is attacked by the Golden Snake army, the two run away with a band of rebels. Together, they try to stop the Empire of the Golden Snake from destroying and conquering everything. Based on the book by C.W. Nicol. I don't know why it's so boring. It seems to follow other similar popular works, but with only scratching the surface to stay family friendly. Lots of imitation and simplification together with totally failed characters, probably.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. The Aurora: Umi no Aurora The Aurora 海のオーロラ [Nippon Television Network] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Sci-Fi  Deep-sea archeologist Hiroshi Ibuki is the member of the digging team working at the bottom of the sea hoping to uncover the origins of Earth's existence but instead uncovers a mysterious colony of bacteria which gives off light similar to the Aurora Borealis. The ancient bacteria, once revived, attempt to make the world habitable for themselves —a process that would bring Earth back to its early primal form, killing all current life in the process. Early CGI are awful. Plot concept is super primitive, another "Alien". Execution just can't be good with these terrible torn animations.   Overall Rating: 4/10
  16. kivandopulus
    Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu is unrivalled champion in Spring 2001.    1. Digimon Tamers デジモンテイマーズ  [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Isekai Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy Digimon Tamers takes place in a world where the popular Digimon franchise is all the rage, consisting of a cartoon, video games, and the trading card game. Takato Matsuda is a huge Digimon fan that's particularly obsessed with the card game, and constantly daydreams about the universe therein. One day, he finds a mysterious blue card, which he slides through a scanner toy to use in the popular battle game. His toy suddenly glows and transforms into a Digivice, and Takato's fan-made design, Guilmon, materialises in front of him. Thrilled by the prospect of having a real-life Digimon, Takato embraces his new partner, and his adventures as a Digimon Tamer begin. Takato quickly discovers that being a Digimon Tamer is not all fun and games—in reality, it's much more dangerous than the card games he's accustomed to. Wild Digimon have begun to appear all across Japan, causing rampages that result in chaos and mayhem. Armed with his Digivice, which can scan trading cards to strengthen Guilmon, Takato and his new partner set out to combat the rogue Digimon. They are tasked with protecting the world from Digimon attacks, whilst a mysterious organization determined to eliminate all Digimon and their Tamers lurks in the shadows... Guess why I missed Digimon Adventure in 1999. Because it's marked as kids show. And introductory episode of tamers did not convince me otherwise, so I'll gladly skip it entirely.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Noir ノワール  [Bee Train] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Action, Drama, Mystery  On a sunny afternoon in her Paris apartment, assassin-for-hire Mireille Bouquet receives a strange email from Kirika Yuumura, a young student from Japan, inviting her to "make a pilgrimage to the past" together. Initially thinking the email is nonsense, she changes her mind when it begins playing a song that she recognizes from her youth. Upon first meeting each other in person, the two are suddenly ambushed by gun-wielding men. While Mireille is capable of fending off the assault, she discovers that Kirika is quite adept in combat situations after she takes out several gunmen on her own. Despite her proficiency at killing, Kirika laments her inability to feel remorse for her victims. In addition, Kirika apparently has no memory of how she came to acquire the skills she possesses or even of her real identity. Sensing shared history between them, Mireille agrees to team up with Kirika, and together, they embark on a journey to uncover the mysteries of their pasts. Operating under the codename "Noir," the duo's fragile alliance is tested as they begin accepting jobs, each one bringing them closer to the truth of who they really are. As for me, it's difficult to make an interesting assassin story, though not impossible as first Gunslinger girls proved. Noir does not put much effort into it, just like Golgo 13 before. Each episode is a new similar case with a baddie , and there may be some flashbacks that keep suspense and supposedly approach us to resolution. Without a good story characters are the only driving force here, and this resource is far from infinite .   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear Prétear: The New Legend of Snow White 新白雪姫伝説プリーティア [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, Reverse Harem, Super Power Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance Due to her father's remarriage, robust 16-year-old Himeno Awayuki moves into a large mansion with a beautiful garden—the quintessential dream house for any girl her age. However, much to Himeno's disappointment, her new stepfamily doesn't really seem to like her, as her stepmother often occupies herself with her father, her younger stepsister Mawata ignores her, and her other stepsister—the equally aged Mayune—tries to prank her at every opportunity. But Himeno doesn't have time to dwell into thoughts of hopelessness—her new life has now become involved with a group of seven magical boys known as the Leafe Knights, after they ask her to become a magical princess who can borrow their powers! Although Himeno accepts their request and becomes the Prétear, she feels doubtful in her abilities to protect the world and its Leafe, the source of energy for all life. Will Himeno be able to find happiness among her new family and also save the Earth from the enemy, the Princess of Disaster? Reverse harem is somewhat fresh, and this anime tries to pose some questions in the right direction about the cost of power, consequences and aftermath, but with rather obnoxious main heroine and lots of cliché it fails to keep interest even with short format of 13 episodes.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer Battle Doll Angelic Layer 機動天使エンジェリックレイヤ  [Bones] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Sports 12-year-old Misaki Suzuhara has just gotten involved in Angelic Layer, a battling game using electronic dolls called angels. Even as a newbie, Misaki shows advanced skills as she meets new friends and enters Angelic Layer tournaments to fight the greatest Angelic Layer champions of the nation. It's real pity that old anime did not care much about story, only about stage where things would settle somehow on its own. Basically, I see Angelic Layer as an attempt to make Hajime no Ippo for girls , but keeping battles cute and remote rather than brutal. Add many interesting adversaries with a bit of background , and that's more than enough for children. Sorry, but that's not storytelling , and it can satisfy only simple needs.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu Haré+Guu ジャングルはいつもハレのちグゥ [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor, School Comedy, Slice of Life Haré was a happy boy living out his days in the jungle with his mother, but then one day Guu showed up and became a member of their household. Throughout the series he faces many hardships as he tries to keep Guu out of trouble in the jungle. It happens to hold middle ground in absurdity, so I was able to enjoy and even finish it in over a decade ago. I find it more enjoyable that Ping-Pong club and thus it deserves the highest reserved score for comedies. I especially like it that there aren't irritating characters here and that development does not get stale and there are even some slightly more serious plot episodes. A truly unique and entertaining comedy.   Overall Rating: 8/10   6. Hanaukyou Maid-tai 花右京メイド隊  [Daume] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen Harem Comedy, Romance, Ecchi After losing his mother, 14-year-old Taro journeys to Tokyo to live with his grandfather. But he gets the biggest surprise when he discovers that his grandfather's home is a huge mansion with hundreds of beautiful maids ready to serve him. Making matters worse (at least for Taro, but not for our viewing) is that not only does he inherit the Hanaukyo mansion, he gets the services of all of the maids 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Boring ecchi premise, boring development. Haven't seen such unfunny comedy in a while.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Galaxy Angel ギャラクシーエンジェル [Madhouse] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi  The Angel Brigade, an elite branch of the Transbaal Empire military, are assigned to search for The Lost Technology, mysterious items from the past that hold unknown powers. Led by the soon to retire Colonel Volcott O' Huey, the Angel Brigade travel to different planets using their specially designed Emblem Frame ships to search for Lost Technology. Unfortunately, they usually mess up somehow and end up getting into all kinds of weird and troublesome situations. Never fancied the game. So it's angel brigade that embarks on most pathetic and trifle missions possible. Humor is rather average too...   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. The SoulTaker: Tamashii-gari SoulTaker The SoulTaker～魂狩～ [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Mythology Horror, Supernatural  Kyousuke Date comes home one night and finds his mother dying in a pool of her own blood. In her final moments, she stabs him in the chest. After a swift recovery, Kyousuke searches for answers regarding his mother's motives, but finds more than he bargained for when he is attacked by two rival organizations: the Hospital and the Kirihara Group. Kyousuke is surprised to discover that he has a twin sister named Runa, and both groups try to coerce information out of him about her despite his ignorance to her existence. As their assault continues, Kyousuke soon makes another discovery—he has the ability to transform into a terrifying mutant called SoulTaker. With these newfound powers, Kyousuke resolves to crush both organizations, uncover the truth behind his mother's actions, and protect Runa. So you need to get through all the avant garde horrible graphics and torn directorship just to receive an average action story as a result. Not cool. Not cool at all.   Overall Rating: 4/10   9. Sister Princess シスター・プリンセス  [Zexcs] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Harem Comedy, Drama, Romance Wataru Minakami is a top student who failed his high school entrance exam because of a computer glitch. He later discovered that he was accepted to Stargazer Hill Academy, which is located at a mysterious place called Promised Island. At the request of his father, Wataru is whisked away to the island, and before he can settle in, a dozen of cute and charming girls start to flock him and claim to be his younger sisters. As Wataru gets closer to his newfound siblings, a deeper mystery as to why they were sent to the island comes to play. Wow, never thought it'd be possible to provide nothing at all except many cute sisters and rest on laurels. Thus it has only one trick to captivate viewer - by character personalities. And if it misses, there's nothing to see here.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Mahou Senshi Louie Rune Soldier 魔法戦士リウイ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 24/24) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  Louie, a brawny student at the mage's guild, is reluctantly accepted by three girls (Merrill-thief, Genie-fighter, and Melissa-priestess) as a companion for their adventuring party. As the foursome explore ruins, battle dark creatures, and make new friends, they also uncover a sinister plot within the kingdom. I'm a sucker for adventurer parties. Strangely enough, Rune Soldier feels surprisingly modern as such anime with upgraded visuals could easily show up today. I'm very sad to admit that after first several dungeons there are no more dungeons and it becomes more and more of a lousy comedy, and no real story shows up. I really wanted to call it a masterpiece, but not with this resolution and not with relatively big format of 24 episodes.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Super GALS! Kotobuki Ran Super GALS! 超GALS! 寿蘭 [Pierrot] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shoujo Comedy, Slice of Life  Sporting designer clothes, make-up, and nails, Ran Kotobuki is the very picture of a trendy, young Shibuya girl, but don't let that fool you. This girl comes from a family of cops, and she’s ready to lay you out flat if you even think about causing trouble in her town! At least, she will... when she’s not distracted with karaoke, shopping, and dodging her homework. Join Ran and her friends as they defend the streets of Shibuya and attempt to shop their way into the history books as the most famous Gals ever! What... why... I mean, it's a rather narrow niche even inside Shoujo. I refuse to acknowledge this "culture" in general and this anime in particular as first three episodes have not provided anything resembling believable drama or funny humor let alone real story.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Comic Party こみっくパーティー [OLM] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Otaku Culture Comedy, Drama  Destiny or delusion? It's a hilarious rollercoaster of laughter and confusion when Taishi, the ultimate otaku, drags his friend Kazuki into the swirling world of ambition, hatred, and love—the world of fan comics! Poor clueless Kazuki must sink or swim when he's dumped straight into the middle of a massive comic convention. Lost amidst hoards of buyers, sellers, and cosplayers, Kazuki is about to be baptized by fire, all in order to lead him toward his true calling: to take over the world through fan comics! Meanwhile, Kazuki's childhood friend Mizuki isn't about to let him be dragged from his normal life without a fight! But will she be able to stop the addictive draw of the new world that lies before Kazuki? Little by little, Kazuki is slipping down the path towards destiny—and Taishi is shoving him every step of the way! I usually like anime about production, but this is just the barebones of doujinshi and cosplay. And the whole approach is rather discouraging as protagonist has to spend lots of time with sleep deprivation and money on utensils and printing and registry fee and he's already some 10k yen in the red. And since it's rather difficult to sell 20 copies of doujinshi, he needs to work at part-time job to get money for new participation, and the cycle of misery goes on and on. I remember game being a sim mostly about getting to the green balance, but such mechanistic approach overshadows the actual art and culture. Characters are mostly nice, but show up occasionally without much screen time.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Geneshaft ジーンシャフト [Satelight] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Mecha, Space Adventure, Sci-Fi In the 21st century mankind was on the brink of destruction. Through genetic engineering however they eradicated such feelings as love and the desire for power. Since women are naturally less agressive than men, women to man ratio was set to 9:1. Now people are engineered to have skills that others view as being necessary. There is a giant ring that now orbits the earth, that sits there and relays information back to an alien race that sent it. Now a team of five women will try to eradicate the alien threat. Pace is so slow and story so vague that I could not make up my mind on it and had to watch in full. The result is that is that it's mostly about inner squabbles with a bit of everything else on the side including mecha and comedy. It's all a huge mess with humanity survival at stake. I'm pretty sure that Gal Force was the main inspiration for this anime, but I liked every single part of Gal Force more, at the very least those were short and specific, not chasing some weird spirits across lifeless planets.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Project ARMS プロジェクトアームズ  [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 8/26) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Super Power Action A boy gets involved in an accident when in kindergarten, horribly damaging his arm, but the doctors somehow manage to save it. Now, several years later, his arm seems to be becoming the focus of strange events as it turns out to be more than a normal arm. Meanwhile, a secret organization is out to get hold of him and the power he possess. A fine serious action about transforming arms with own conscience. Nice to see a team of protagonists and some kind of teamplay. But is it interesting? As a story not really as it's just running away from organization and getting attacked. But if you liked Guyver, you'll probably like this one as action is satisfactory and characters aren't irritating.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Figure 17: Tsubasa & Hikaru フィギュア17 つばさ&ヒカル [OLM] (Finished 4/13) Tags: Sci-Fi, Slice of Life  Tsubasa Shiina is a 10-year-old girl who recently moved to Hokkaido to live with her father. In school, she is very quiet and unsociable with her classmates. Then one night, she witnesses a UFO crash in the forest near her home. She rushes to the scene and finds the pilot, codenamed "D.D.", in a barely stable condition. Also in the scene is a Maguar, a hideous alien that hatched aboard D.D.'s ship. As the Maguar is close to taking Tsubasa's life, an alien lifeform fuses with her body to form the Riberus battle armor Figure 17, which shortly destroys the alien threat. The life form takes the name Hikaru and turns into an identical twin of Tsubasa. As time passes, Tsubasa becomes more open to everyone around her, thanks to her new twin sister Hikaru. However, with Maguar eggs scattered all over Hokkaido, their ability to form Figure 17 is needed to eliminate all hatched Maguars until backup from D.D.'s home planet arrives on Earth. Are you interested in school and sports SOL of 10 year old girls? That's the core question for this show, because it takes the most time and because aliens sub-plot is rather sour and short. I'm probably too old to enjoy a friendship and socialization story about four-graders. With episodes twice longer than usual all that naïve childish SOL inevitably bores.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Star Ocean EX スターオーシャンEX [Studio Deen] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Claude C. Kenni, a crewmember on the spaceship Calnus and son of the commander of the ship, is transported to Expel, a backwards planet with swords and magic. He teams up with Rena Lanford, who thinks he is the legendary Warrior of Light, and other characters to investigate the Sorcery Globe, a meteorite that has been causing problems all over the world. RPG adaptation, and again in 26 episodes, so pacing is not going to be fast. In 6th episode full party gathers and only by 23rd episode they come to Sorcery Globe that they go to from first episode. Feels a lot like dragon quest anime with older characters and some sci-fi. As usual for RPG adaptations, not bad, but overextended and often simplified .   Overall Rating: 6/10   17. Koutetsu Tenshi Kurumi 2 Steel Angel Kurumi 2 鋼鉄天使くるみ2式 [OLM] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Shounen Mecha Comedy, Girls Love, Romance, Sci-Fi Taking place 75 years after the first series, Steel Angel Kurumi 2 brings the Steel Angels in a new mis-adventure. High school student and aspiring cellist Nako Kagura accidentally discovers and kisses Kurumi Mk. II at her home, thus making her Kurumi's master. But things go awry as Nako's best friend Uruka gets jealous and tries anything - including her father's army of top-secret mecha - to destroy Kurumi and win back Nako. Things get more out of control when Saki Mk. II is awakened by Uruka, and Karinka Mk. II joins in to steal Nako away from Kurumi. It's not the first season, so should be clear.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Zone of the Enders: Dolores, I Zone of the Enders: Dolores  [Sunrise] (Finished 5/26) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi 49-year-old James Lynx was an officer (LEV pilot) in the United Nations global army, one day he received notification that his wife—a Martian scientist—was killed during a lab experiment. Hateful and resentful for letting her go, his children blamed him and cast him aside, depressed and in despair, James quit the military and took up a job as a transporter between Earth and Mars, he had some slight hope of his wife still being alive and to find her he wanted to be out there. After a few years, he seemed to have given up all hope and turned to drinking, until one day he receives an orbital frame by the name of "Dolores," sent by his dead wife. Once again, he dares to hope and sets off on a wild and wacky adventure to find the truth and to reunite his family. Game adaptation, and with prequel movie launched before I expected more. I did not see much story. It is probably pushed to the end, but why extend to 26 episodes at all then. Lots of filler scenes and torn directorship. It's rare to see mecha with humor, but humor here is also not satisfactory.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Taiho Shichau zo: Second Season You're Under Arrest: Fast & Furious 逮捕しちゃうぞ SECOND SEASON [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Adult Cast, Detective, Workplace Action, Comedy AA! Megami Sama creator, Kosuke Fujishima, is back with the second season of Taiho Schihauzo (You're Under Arrest). Same characters, two policewomen, the gentle Miyuki and the wild Natsumi teamed up together in Bokuto police station`s traffic division. Other characters including Kenichi, the motorcycle cop who has a feeling for Miyuki; Yoriko with her gossip and Aoi, a transvestite. They all ready to take on harmless criminals and costumed weirdos... You think you can have a better police station? I had a small hope that direction of previous movie rather than series would be taken now. But of course it's again just traffic police on trivial cases and with goofy humor.   Overall Rating: 6/10   20. Shin Chou Kyou Ryo: Condor Hero Legend of the Condor Hero 神鵰侠侶 コンドルヒーロー [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Historical Adventure, Drama, Romance Youka is a young 13-year-old boy. One day, his Uncle, Kakusei, has him follow in his steps of martial arts and has him study the art of Zenshinkyou. After being mistreated, Youka runs away Zenshinkyou. He stumbles on a Forbidden Tomb where he finds a beautiful young woman, by the name of Shouryuujo. After a short time, Youka is eventually accepted by Shouryuujo to study the techniques of the Koboha under her, and thus begins their adventure through martial arts and love. There's only Chinese and English dub versions available, that's already alerting and disappointing. Contents is indeed travelling across ancient China and martial arts with some romance. It looks very random, and I'm definitely not going to watch 78 episodes of three paired seasons to see where it all is going if I don't enjoy the flow in the least .   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Gakuen Senki Muryou Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars 学園戦記ムリョウ [Madhouse] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha, Space Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Supernatural The world is about to be turned upside down for Hajime Murata. First, a strange alien ship appears over Tokyo, and then a mysterious new transfer student arrives at his school wearing an ancient school uniform. His name is Muryou, and with his arrival, everything begins to change. Students suddenly begin to display amazing psychic powers, a giant white guardian keeps appearing in the skies over the city to fight off gigantic alien creatures, and men with threatening weapons are haunting the shadows of the school grounds. With all these strange events taking place around him, Hajime is determined to figure out the truth about a world he thought he already knew. This is his story: a tale of aliens and humans, starships and spies, and friends who are often more than they appear. Join Hajime as he uncovers the mystery of Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars! Decent school SOL. Decent action. It's slow pace, relaxing and easy to watch. Even psychic powers and mecha feel surprisingly fine here. Is it interesting? Probably, but not for me since it's just another stage with episodic attacks and unveiling the mystery of psychic users through characters blah-blah-blah. Basically, I just prefer modern anime where story is in the center and events are so concentrated and fast-paced that characters develop through interesting events rather than through just talks. There's no excitement here for me. I ask myself why I should care and there's no good answer I can find .   Overall Rating: 6/10   22. Chance Triangle Session Chance Pop Session チャンス　トライアングルセッション [Madhouse] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Idols (Female), Music Drama, Slice of Life This anime is based on a 1999 radio drama about three very different girls: Akari, Yuki and Nozomi; going to see the concert of top pop idol Reika and by going to see this concert their lives are greatly influenced by it. Akari was raised in a very religious background, she is bright and cheerful and a big Reika fan. Yuki is an independent girl who ran away from her home in Hakodate. She is working in the concert hall of Reika's performance. Nozomi is the daughter from a wealthy family in Kobe. She's got one of the VIP seats at the concert. The three girls are so inspired by Reika's performance, that they all enroll in the Akiba music school and endeavor to become pop idols themselves. It's the barebones of pop idol training show - rather simple and predictable. From the show about entertainment I don't even expect entertainment, but please make sure to provide something memorable. And there's nothing I can remember it by.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Dr. Rin ni Kiitemite! Dr.リンにきいてみて！ [Studio Comet] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Shoujo School Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Kanzaki Meirin, a junior high school student, posseses fusui power which can drive away evil spirits away whenever they appeared. She is in fact, the fortune teller Dr. Rin. She is in love with her best friend, soccer club member, Yuuki Asuka. However, Yuuki does not like fortune-telling and superstitious things. Mahou shoujo... without actual magic and transformation scene... without transformation. It's rather simple and episodic. Airing such concept for a whole year takes a lot of confidence. It's easygoing and occasionally funny ... and has a funny pet monkey, but that's not enough, as for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san☆ Cosmic Baton Girl コメットさん☆ Cosmic Baton Girl コメットさん☆ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/43) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi  Comet (12 years old in human years) is the princess of the Harmonica Star country and was to meet the prince of the Tambourine Star country at a ball where he'd pick a bride. But he isn't there and so Comet is sent to Earth to find him. He'll be known by the starlight in his eyes. She finds the Earth and she loves the people she meets there. Meanwhile, Princess Meteor of the Castanet Star country also arrives on Earth in search of the prince. Comet's companion is a little puppy with a star at the end of his tail named Rubba Ball. Of course, Comet was not the first to visit the Earth and love it, another before her did as well and married. Her pet (a white cat with bunny ears and a tiny heart on her tail named Bunny) continued life as a kind of fairy in the forest. Comet's power is drawn from the stars of her home and is channeled through her baton; she also wears a special pendant from where Rubba Ball immerges, and with which she can detect and find the prince. Concept instantly reminded me the first mahou shoujo from 1960s like Sally the Witch, so it was cool to find out that Comet-chan origins lie in the 1960s as well. It's a funny energetic show for children, but it's childish and episodic - total miss for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   25. Parappa the Rapper パラッパラッパー [J.C.Staff, Production I.G] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy Parappa is just your ordinary talking dog; he enjoys spending time with his friends, listening to music, and going on adventures. Together with his friends, Parappa gets into many strange situations, all the while learning to navigate through life, get along with his friends, and pine for the girl of his dreams, Sunny Funny. Based on an equally quirky rhythm game, Parappa the Rapper boasts a unique flat style, blasts of color, and a string of strange but charming characters. Among Parappa’s friends are an anthropomorphized blue cat, lamb, and even a flower. Parappa's adventures range from the ordinary to the bizarre. He crosses paths with mischievous baddies, helps resolve questions of friendship and love, and even goes on trips through time itself. Nothing can change Parappa's positive outlook on life. A senseless kid game turned into a senseless anime. It hurts.   Overall Rating: 5/10   26. Offside (TV) オフサイド [Ashi Productions] (Finished 1/39) Tags: Team Sports Action, Drama, Sports  Goro Kumagaya is an established, tall middle-school goalkeeper who wanted to enter Yokonan high-school that is considered to be among the elites in terms of its football club, only to fail and end up in the lowly-ranked school opposite to Yokonan because of an accident. However, he met Shingo, Hideki and Kazuhito Oda who are all skillful footballers there and together in the Kawasaki High School football club, they challenge Yokonan and any other schools that they have to face in order to improve and become the champions. Any setbacks that they face would instead be an opportunity for a better improvement; one of which was the discovery of Goro's natural talent as an ace striker. Not translated into English even though showed in many other languages. All football anime look the same to me, apart of small details. Goalkeeper viewpoint is unexpected, but now it's great goalkeeper and totally lousy team who only scores with faraway goalkeeper throws. And let's leave it at that for spokon fans.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Haja Kyosei G Dangaiou 破邪巨星Gダンガイオ [AIC] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi A mysterious explosion on Futagami Island begins a new chapter in the Dangaioh mythos! Led by the evil Professor Katou, a band of warriors calling themselves the "Tartarus Knights" have begun their campaign to lay waste to the world by way of a small research station on Futagami Island. Katou's victory seems almost certain until he encounters an advanced fortress guarding the island. From it, a group of three humanoid robots are launched—Dangaioh! I rated prequel from 1980s as 3/10 , and since psychics seem to be gone it deserves a promotion.   Overall Rating: 4/10   28. Dennou Boukenki Webdiver Brain Adventure Record Webdiver 電脳冒険記ウェブダイバー [Radix] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shounen Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi Set in the year 2100 where the world is tied together by a computer network. The children of the world become Web Divers, adapting their consciousnesses into data, and love to play together in the cyber park called Magical Gate. However, a mysterious computer virus appears beginning to destroy Magical Gate from the inside out. In cyberspace, programs called Web Knights have been created to protect the children. But, the computer virus has turned all the Web Knights against the children. The only Web Knight to escape the "brainwashing" is Gladion. Gladion seeks the help of Kaito Yuki, a Web Diver who is in the fourth grade. Another simple and repetitive mecha that does not try to have big plot, so need to like the flow itself.   Overall Rating: 5/10   29. Run=Dim RUN=DIM (ランディム) [Idea Factory] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi In the year 2050 A.D, approximately 1/10th of Japan is now under water due to the global warming effect. The city of Tokyo was no exception. The economy of Japan is crippled from this disaster and the government is willing for anything to help revive the country. As a result, the Japanese government forms "JESAS", a military foundation that has evil intentions of controlling Japan's future. JESAS handles the dumping of nuclear wastes into outer space. To insure their protection from other countries, JESAS has developed "R.B." Robotic Weaponry, which is controlled by pilots with "A.I. (Accurate Intuition)". On the opposite side of the law is the "Green Frontier", a united protection agency that was formed by countries sharing the same beliefs, to save the Earth. Featuring JESAS pilots Kanna and Kazuto and Green Frontier's Doota Kang and Mira Yu, these four youngsters will decide the fate of the Earth through love, friendship and the passion for their duty. It's all ugly early CGI with horrible actions animation. Basically, it tries to play in Gundam as there are two big factions with different reasoning who use giant mecha to fight. Guess need to really like politics here or be mecha enthusiast to go on.   Overall Rating: 4/10   30. Genei Toushi Bastof Lemon BASToF Syndrome 幻影闘士バストフレモン [Dongwoo A&E] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi The story takes place in the year 2097 and in the city of Xenon. An ultimate cyber game, where players fight as bio-mechanical cyber robots, has been developed. However, there's something wrong. The game's cyberspace and the real world are linked. The damage that occurs in the game's cyberspace creates destruction in the city of Xenon. This all started when players heard a painful scream, saw a ghostly face, and a powerful scent of lemon overcame them. To solve this mystery, the creator of the game assembles a "Dream Team," which is the top three gamers in all of Xenon. The team is composed of rebellious and arrogant teens, who, have to overcome their attitudes and fears to find the answers, answers to the mystery that are much bigger than just the game. It's in Korean, so of course it's about virtual reality or games, and now also mecha... And basically Korean anime is still too simple and imitational, it just can't let fantasy fly or produce something remotely serious yet.   Overall Rating: 5/10   31. Pachislo Kizoku Gin パチスロ貴族 銀 [Fuji TV] (Finished 3/23) Tags: High Stakes Game, Strategy Game Action Ginya Otonashi is a college dropout who works part-time for a pachislot publishing company while aspiring to become a novelist. One day, Ginya comes across a secret organization and gets pulled into a competition to become #1 in "Pachi Battle," which is all a part of the Slotseum, a pachislot competition. Anime about... slot machines... wow. There are all kinds of competitions and power groups in the underground casino. Basically, it's better than expected due to fine execution and some attention to characters, but concept is too stupid for something decent.   Overall Rating: 5/10   32. Go! Go! Itsutsugo Land ゴーゴー五つ子ら・ん・ど  [Eiken] (Finished 1/50) Tags: School  The series is about five quintuplets, Kabuto, Hinoki, Arashi, Kinoko and Kodama Morino, who have all kinds of adventures together. Each has their own talent and personality. Not translated. Characters have only started elementary school and behave like kindergarten kids and have corresponding "adventures". Comedy for kids.   Overall Rating: 5/10   33. Gyouten Ningen Batsealer Captain Fatz and the Seamorphs 仰天人間バトシーラー [Group TAC] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy With the ability to transcend time, Captain Fatz and comrades embarked on a journey of battle and adventure to gather the eight scattered stone pieces (namely Light, Darkness, Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Wood & Metal) which was granulated by the lord of destruction, in order to restore the chaotic world back to peace. Not translated. And another kids anime not marked properly. Feels a lot like One Piece imitation.   Overall Rating: 5/10   34. Ajimu: Kaigan Monogatari あじむ ～海岸物語～ [Actas] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Music, School Comedy, Drama, Romance Seventeen year old Nakaido Hirosuke is just your average high school student. One morning as he arrives at the train station on his way to school, he catches sight of a beautiful girl, Ajimu Yasuna, and immediately falls for her. The two of them get to know each other and become friends, but he can't confess his feelings and she is unsure of hers. As events and other people present obstacles for the potential couple to clear, their relationship begins to develop and their feelings become clear. A very awkward romance, both in wording and situations. Generic and predictable to the point of nausea .   Overall Rating: 5/10   35. R.O.D: Read or Die R.O.D - Read or Die R.O.D リード・オア・ダイ [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Adult Cast, Historical Action, Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi Yomiko Readman is a lovable, near-sighted bibliomaniac working as a substitute teacher at a Japanese high school. Her real identity, however, is that of a secret agent for the British Library Special Operations Division. Her codename: "The Paper." The moniker denotes her supernatural ability to freely manipulate paper into any object she can imagine, including tools and weapons in her fight against the powerful and self-serving IJIN (Great Historical Figure) Army! Along with her partner, the enigmatic "Ms. Deep," Yomiko travels across the world in attempt to solve the mystery behind the reincarnation of historical figures and their attempt to control the world. In a mess of a stage like this books are just a pretext to introduce lots of silly super-agent action with books transforming into weapons. But there are a lot of even more absurd elements, and it's the kind of full absurdity that I can't stand.   Overall Rating: 5/10   36. Alien 9 エイリアン9 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Psychological, School Horror, Sci-Fi  Soon after entering middle school, Yuri Otani is coerced into joining the "Alien Party," a single-minded group with one goal: capture any alien attempting to enter school grounds. Terrified of aliens her entire life, Otani is anything but thrilled, and to make matters worse, her kit includes a "Borg"—an alien-like creature tasked with ensuring her safety. Despite this, she finds solace in her two partners: the independent and reliable Kumi Kawamura, and the smart and energetic Kasumi Tomine. As the Alien Party works to fend off extraterrestrial threats, will their roller blades and lacrosse sticks be enough to overcome the dire challenges ahead, or will they succumb to fear and suffer the grim consequences of defeat? Well, it's exactly the shoujo with a twist that I did not expect before Madoka. But Alien 9 deliberately tries to bluntly shock and things get really ugly occasionally. The problem is that it does not give much in return and it's even not cute. It's fresh and solid and has enough complexity with interesting thoughts, but it gives a sour aftertaste and no memorable impressions, so I would not want to highlight it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   37. Malice@Doll Malice@doll マリスドール [Soeishinsha] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Psychological Horror, Sci-Fi Malice, a sex robot living in an abandoned human city, is assaulted and violated by a mysterious creature. Upon awakening, Malice finds out that she has become human and can pass on her humanity to her fellow machines. However, her gift soon becomes a curse when her fellow robots rage out of control after being exposed to the pleasures of life. First CGI movie that I can promote from not recommended to average as it's not repulsive, just uninteresting, short, poorly done and directed, although with claims of a serious AI self-consciousness work. Basically, it tells that author did Lain Experiments before as it's similar mess.   Overall Rating: 5/10   38. Medaka no Gakkou めだかの学校 [Office AO] (Finished 0/5) Tags: Comedy Medaka is a high school student. She wants to be a doctor, and she’s just transferred to Tanaka Private School on the recommendation of her parents. But she finds that his school looks a bit strange. For example, Pochi is such a smart student who always gets full marks, but he is a dog. And there are other classmates: Nekoko, a cat, who thinks of Pochi as a rival, Misa, a five-years-old girl. Of course, her home room teacher, Mr. Tanaka, is not normal. His face is ... A fish?! Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   39. Metropolis メトロポリス [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Detective Adventure, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi In the great city of Metropolis, severe community structures and prejudice dominate a world where humans and robots live together. Unrest and violence increase with each new day. Searching for the scientist Dr. Laughton, suspected to violate human rights by trading organs, the Japanese detective Shunsaku Ban and his nephew Kenichi arrive at Metropolis. In the scientist's laboratory, Kenichi discovers a girl without any memory of her past life. He decides to help her, so they run away together. His uncle follows him and penetrates the dark secrets of the city to find Duke Red, the man ruling from the shadows. Meanwhile, Kenichi desperately tries to protect the mysterious girl from the people hunting her. However, Duke Red and his adoptive son have their own deep reasons for chasing the girl. These reasons are connected to her true identity and the struggle for the domination of Metropolis... It's a beautiful action adventure in a a dystopian city, but at the same time story develops just through chaotic events and lacks substance. It's rather decent than average, and I remember I enjoyed it a bit when watched for the first time, now circumstances have changed.   Overall Rating: 6/10   40. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 09: Arashi wo Yobu Mouretsu! Otona Teikoku no Gyakushuu 映画　クレヨンしんちゃん　嵐を呼ぶモーレツ！オトナ帝国の逆襲 [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Sci-Fi  Adult people all over Japan had been captivated by 20th Century Expo, theme parks that reenacted good old days of the 1970s (the last days of Japan's high economic growth). One day the adults disappeared into the theme parks, leaving their children abandoned. That was a plot by "Yesterday Once More," an organization who despises the 21st century and tries to bring Japan back to the 20th century with the dreams and hopes. Shinnosuke and his parents, Hiroshi and Misae, fight against the plot of "Yesterday Once More" in order to live together with family in the 21st century. Guess can call it being on the better end of the movies. Big tilt into parodies at beginning feels nice. Infantile middle is fun. Another crazy organization confrontation is better than usual. Still can't say I'm impressed enough.   Overall Rating: 6/10
  17. kivandopulus
    Ended up choosing no masterpieces, but Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira is my personal preference.   1. Fruits Basket フルーツバスケット  [Studio Deen] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Shoujo Love Polygon, School Drama, Romance, Supernatural After the accident in which she lost her mother, 16-year-old Tooru moves in with her grandfather, but due to his home being renovated, is unable to continue living with him. Claiming she will find someone to stay with but also fearing the criticism of her family and not wanting to burden any of her friends, Tooru resorts to secretly living on her own in a tent in the woods. One night on her way back from work, she finds her tent buried underneath a landslide. Yuki Souma, the "prince" of her school, and his cousin Shigure Souma, a famous author, stumble across Tooru's situation and invite her to stay with them until her grandfather's home renovations are complete. Upon arriving at the Souma house, Tooru discovers their secret: if a Souma is hugged by someone of the opposite gender, they temporarily transform into one of the animals of the zodiac! However, this strange phenomenon is no laughing matter; rather, it is a terrible curse that holds a dark history. As she continues her journey, meeting more members of the zodiac family, will Tooru's kindhearted yet resilient nature be enough to prepare her for what lies behind the Souma household's doors What horrible stage and tasteless plain humor for events... My facepalms limit is already exceeded after two episodes.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Shaman King シャーマンキング [Xebec] (Finished 3/64) Tags: Shounen Super Power Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural A battle is about to begin in Tokyo: the Shaman Fight, a tournament held every five hundred years where shaman—those who can command spirits—confront each other in combat. The victor of this contest becomes the Shaman King and the only one who is able to contact and control the Great Spirit, allowing them to reshape the world as they please through its immense power. During a late night walk, Manta Oyamada runs into his classmate, the carefree You Asakura, who invites him to come stargazing with some friends, who, to Manta's horror, turn out to be ghosts from a local cemetery! However, the knowledge that Manta possesses—a rare sixth sense that allows Manta to see these spirits—endears the boy to You. So when You finds out that his new comrade has been beaten up by a local gang, he decides to avenge him with the help of Amidamaru, a samurai ghost whose tomb was broken by the gang leader. Soon Manta uncovers more about the world of spirits, including the Shaman Fight, in which his new friend You aims to claim victory. Brainless shounen extended to horrific 64 episodes. If I see no additional interesting layer or complexity in starting episodes, it's just average, same as One Piece.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. s.CRY.ed s-CRY-ed スクライド [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Super Power Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi A strange environmental phenomenon 22 years ago in the Kanazawa prefecture caused the land to split and protrude upwards reaching unprecedented heights, creating the secluded area known as The Lost Ground. Kazuma is a young mercenary who lives in the Lost Ground, looking for any work he can find to sustain his livelihood within the harsh environment. He is one of the few people that are gifted with the Alter ability, which allows him to plaster his right arm and torso with a metallic alloy. When this mercenary encounters HOLY, an order whose purpose is to suppress and capture what they call Native Alter Users, and one of the elite members of HOLY, Ryuho, an epic rivalry begins. The flow, action and visuals are pleasant enough, but there is not enough material for 26 episodes, so it inevitably starts to drag soon. It's still a tad better than typical shounen. Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Grappler Baki: Saidai Tournament-hen グラップラー刃牙(バキ) 最大トーナメント編  [Group TAC] (Finished 1/24) Tags: Shounen Combat Sports, Gore Action, Sports Mitsunari Tokugawa, the organizer of the historic Tokugawa underground fighting ring, has created a tournament featuring 38 of the world's best fighters, many of whom are grandmasters in their respective form of martial arts. With the exception of weapons, anything goes in Tokugawa's ring so that each fighter is able to showcase their true power and strongest secret moves. Baki Hanma earned a place in the tournament due to his status as the reigning champion of Tokugawa's fighting ring. Will he be able to come out on top? Baki favored tournaments even in original, so just a sample episode is enough to confirm that it's more or less the same.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. I My Me! Strawberry Eggs あぃまぃみぃ！ストロベリー・エッグ [TNK] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Crossdressing, School Comedy, Drama, Romance Amawa Hibiki is a young man just out of college, with an education to be an athletics teacher. He's been having a hard time finding a job since he graduated, so all his money has gone towards living expenses. When his landlady demands his first payment to live in her living establishment upfront, he heads to the local middle school to get hired as a teacher. However, the principal refuses to hire him without hesitation. She will not hire men as teachers and makes it clear that she hates all men, saying they put no love into their passions and work. Amawa does not give up and with the help of his landlady, he crossdresses as a woman without a second thought, and gets hired, so he can earn money and also prove the principal wrong. Now, he has to keep his real gender a secret, and avoid strange situations, including the affections of his students (from both genders). As it turns out, my aversion for trap stories is still strong. Or maybe it is strong because of such worthless slapstick pervy anime.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Seikai no Senki II Banner of the Stars II 星界の戦旗 II [Sunrise] (Finished 10/10) Tags: Military, Space Action, Romance, Sci-Fi Due to a lack of ambassadors for the recently-conquered worlds the rapidly advancing fleet of the Bebaus brothers leave behind, Lafiel is appointed Territorial Ambassador of the planet Lobnas II. Upon arriving to the planet Jinto and Lafiel discover that the planet was used by the United Mankind as a prison planet and now has a million prisoners on the only inhabited island. The prisoners are parted in three blocks. The western where women are housed, the eastern belongs to the men and the central is mixed under the restriction that all prisoners living there are sterilized. The women in the western sector want to emigrate from the planet of fear for the men and when they do the men in the east rebel, overthrowing the guards and capturing Jinto to try to stop the emigration of the women. At the same time an enemy fleet heads toward the system forcing Lafiel to abandon Jinto. Since story is a one-sided mess with everlasting streak of victories anyway, let's just sidetrack for a single planet to add at least some complexity. The whole season is one big filler.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Samurai Girl Real Bout High School SAMURAI GIRL　リアルバウトハイスクール  [Gonzo] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  At Daimon High School, kids settle their disputes by dueling with each other in the school's official K-Fight battle arena. Ryoko Mitsurugi, samurai girl and undefeated K-Fight champion, is called upon by a mysterious Priestess to protect the Earth from an invasion coming from the alternate universe of Solvania. She must face battles that will test her skills, her friendships, and her heart in order to find her true strength as a samurai warrior. Some typical fighting action without good distinguishing features, humor is corresponding.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto Magical Meow Meow Taruto 魔法少女猫[まじかる にゃん にゃん]たると [Madhouse, TNK] (Finished 5/12) Tags: Comedy  Taruto is a little cat who has just moved to a new city with her master's family. Taruto spends her days making friends and exploring her new home town. She also has a knack for getting herself into trouble. And it turns out that Taruto just might be a legendary magical princess. Almost none of Taruto’s friends believe that she can use magic or that she’s a princess, but Taruto is determined to prove it to them. But Taruto's magic is so unpredictable, you never know what's going to happen when she uses it. A constant streak of silliness that's supposed to be cute or something.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Cosmo Warrior Zero コスモウォーリアー零  [Vega Entertainment] (Finished 4/13) Tags: Military, Space Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi The long war between the planet Earth and the machine men is finally over, resulting in a peace that is more a victory for the machine men than the Earth. Warrius Zero lost his family in the war to the machine men but despite this he is still is a member of the Earth fleet that is now working in concert with the machine men. His ship, made up of both humans and machine men, has been given a near impossible task: capture the space pirate Captain Harlock. While Zero struggles to accomplish this task, evidence begins to surface that the peace between machine men and Earth may not be as it seems... Don't think I liked anything from Leiji after first battleship Yamato. Even if we omit character designs recycled over and over, this is difficult to watch as camera jumps from some characters to others rapidly and I often can't understand at which point character on a spaceship got landed on a planet, things like that. Show tries to persuade us that we're still pursuing Harlock, but in fact we need to concentrate on the bits of information provided about machine men in a very incoherent fashion. I blame directorship as it would be possible to make a normal story out of it all, but it just crumbles.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Saiko Robot Kombock Cubix 로보짱 큐빅스 [Xebec] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Mecha Sci-Fi  The year is 2040. Japanese robot technology is making remarkable progress; they can understand human language, and they've even succeeded in developing a humanoid robot that can feel emotions. The setting is a future town on the outskirts of Musashino in the Tokyo area, where humans and robots live together, "New Musashino City." In this town, our main character Ichiro and his friends, as well as some robots, all get along very well. Before these friends appears a mad scientist, Professor K, bent on taking over the world. Ichiro and his robot partner, Kombock, and his other friends stand against him to crush his schemes. Will they be able to protect the peaceful lives of humans and robots from this evil?! The story of the friendship of Ichiro, Kombock, and their friends begins!! It's Korean and has only dub in English. It's full CGI. It's for kids.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Nono-chan ののちゃん [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/61) Tags: Comedy, Slice of Life  Nono-chan is the eldest daughter in the Yamada family and a third-grade elementary school student. Her family consists of her father, Mr Yamada Takashi, her mother, Mrs Yamada Matsuko and her brother, Noboru, a junior high student. Together with her grandmother, the family of five makes up a pleasant Japanese family. Everyone is special and everyday is always filled with joy and surprise. Not translated. Very simply drawn SOL comedy, same one we've seen from Ghibli as Yamadas, and I rated it as 5 even then.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Kinniku Banzuke: Kongou-kun no Daibouken! 筋肉番付 金剛くんの大冒険! [Pierrot] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Action, Sports A group of school children are invited to compete in the strongest man competition. As the first match is starting, the bored organizer announces that all matches will now be to the death. None of the competitors have a problem with the change. Who will survive and be crowned the strongest? It's death tournament, but teams prefer to fail together or avoid deaths in other ways in various competitions. Competitions are the gist as there is just no time for anything else. Can't say it's not interesting, but it's unclear why viewers should care in the first place.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Sabaku no Kaizoku! Captain Kuppa Captain Kuppa 砂漠の海賊！ キャプテンクッパ [Bee Train] (Finished 0/26) Tags: Action, Adventure  Sometime in the future, the world was completely dried up and became all desert. They had little rivers and lakes left, which villians and dangerous animals lived. Water has become the most valueable thing on the world. Whoever can control water will rule over the world. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   14. Uniminipet 유니미니펫 [Dongwoo A&E] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy  Dong Woo is a very pleasant, responsible and cheerful boy. He gets weird feelings every time he opens his closet door and is the only one that can sense these feelings. Why is this? Dong Woo is destined to be "the person that opens the Door". His closet is a secret channel that connects the real world to the fourth dimension world called "Uniland ". Whenever he opens the door, the wavelength from the other world is transferred to him. Not translated. Childish anime with two pets. From time to time aggressive small enemies come through the breach and are getting dealt with.    Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Happy☆Lesson  [Studio Kyuuma, Venet, Chaos Project] (Finished 2/5) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Romance One guy. Five girls. One roof. It's a recycled idea, but it never gets old. Happy Lesson is a kinetic take on an old genre. Chitose shares his house with five ladies. One might think the continued attention of this many girls would be a good thing, but too much attention can prove to be painful. Did I mention they're also instructors at his school (hence the title)? Not only is he the subject of their abuse at home, but at school as well. Even when things finally calm down at night, all the rooms are taken so Chitose must sleep on the couch. It's all in the synopsis - lots of cuteness and silly abuse humor.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e ONE ～輝く季節へ～  [Arms] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Drama, Supernatural  Orihara Kouhei returns to his town after a long disappearance to fullfil the promises he made to several girls in his childhood. He suffered from memory loss, and carries a tragic past. An strange ambience surrounds the OVA...It's almost like a dream, like memories from the past trying to come together in one piece but without being able to... Aim is to introduce characters and show their endings, and anime does that pretty well. It differs from traditional anime flow where focus is on one male protagonist, so it can be somewhat confusing, but it's the problem of viewers and their expectations.   Overall Rating: 6/10   17. Generation of Chaos ジェネレーション オブ カオス [Idea Factory] (Finished 1/1)   Tags: Mythology Action, Adventure, Fantasy  In the world of Neverland, humans and monsters live alongside each other. Generation of Chaos details the start of the adventures of the two heroes of Neverland, Chiffon and Roze. Departure of Chiffon Chiffon is a boy with the power to train monsters. After realizing that his power is waning, he sets out to Hiyoko Forest to return his Hiyokomushi—a fish-like mount and companion—back to its homeland, the Hiyoko Forest. However, the journey there is anything but uneventful as his control over his monster gradually loosens. Roze's Decision Roze is of half-demon descent, living a quiet life among humans with her sister Emilia. One day, as Roze returns from work, she sees her house being set on fire.The destruction of her home shatters her dream of being able to live peacefully with humankind, as she is reminded that harmony between demons and humans is far from becoming a reality. More of game promo with 24 minutes length (twice less for each of protagonists) and 3D rendered town. It introduced characters, and that's it.   Overall Rating: 4/10   18. Tokyo Juushouden: Fuuma Gogyou Denshou 倒凶十将伝 封魔五行伝承 [T.P.O] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Supernatural Long ago, in feudal Japan, there was a fierce warrior named the Demon King. He controlled a band of demons, known as the Kyouma. Only the powers of ten warriors sealed the Demon King away and kept the Kyouma under control. But now, Lord Shindigan, a powerful Kyouma is planning to free the Demon King, and the reincarnations of the ten warriors must band together and save the earth. Ah, so it's last three episodes of Tokyo Juushouden. Mediocre in all aspects.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi Spirited Away 千と千尋の神隠し [Studio Ghibli] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mythology Adventure, Award Winning, Supernatural Stubborn, spoiled, and naïve, 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino is less than pleased when she and her parents discover an abandoned amusement park on the way to their new house. Cautiously venturing inside, she realizes that there is more to this place than meets the eye, as strange things begin to happen once dusk falls. Ghostly apparitions and food that turns her parents into pigs are just the start—Chihiro has unwittingly crossed over into the spirit world. Now trapped, she must summon the courage to live and work amongst spirits, with the help of the enigmatic Haku and the cast of unique characters she meets along the way. Vivid and intriguing, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi tells the story of Chihiro's journey through an unfamiliar world as she strives to save her parents and return home. It ran on TV many times, but I never cared to watch it from beginning to end before. Don't expect me to like it as it's a high quality movie for kids, but as an adult I start to ask questions and search for logic, and that's not welcome here. From the travel to the bogs and till the end it's just super cheesy. And it teaches nothing - everything will settle somehow on its own. It's toothless, that's why it's exported worldwide.   Overall Rating: 6/10   20. Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira Cowboy Bebop: The Movie カウボーイビバップ 天国の扉 [Bones] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adult Cast, Space Action, Sci-Fi Another day, another bounty—such is the life of the often unlucky crew of the Bebop. However, this routine is interrupted when Faye, who is chasing a fairly worthless target on Mars, witnesses an oil tanker suddenly explode, causing mass hysteria. As casualties mount due to a strange disease spreading through the smoke from the blast, a whopping three hundred million woolong price is placed on the head of the supposed perpetrator. With lives at stake and a solution to their money problems in sight, the Bebop crew springs into action. Spike, Jet, Faye, and Edward, followed closely by Ein, split up to pursue different leads across Alba City. Through their individual investigations, they discover a cover-up scheme involving a pharmaceutical company, revealing a plot that reaches much further than the ragtag team of bounty hunters could have realized. An omnipotent criminal who steals... kisses? I don't like this generic villain who miraculously survives each time and screenwriters just forget to show or tell , how. There are a lot of nonsense moves, and if writer takes viewers for idiots, I'll do the same in his regards.   Overall Rating: 6/10   21. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within ファイナルファンタジー [Square Pictures] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Sci-Fi The year is 2065, and the planet of Earth is far removed from the place that it was in the past. Deadly alien creatures known as Phantoms have appeared all over the planet, and mere contact with these entities is lethal, whether it be an instant death or a prolonged decline. In order to try and salvage what little of the human race is left, large force-field barriers have been constructed around certain cities to repel the Phantoms. Seeking a more permanent solution to this invasion are scientists Aki Ross and her mentor, Dr. Sid, whose investigations have revealed that there exists a form of spiritual, Gaia energy that can eradicate the Phantom's presence from this world. Aki and Sid aren't alone in their quest through Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within; the human council and the military squad "Deep Eyes" are ready to help. Not everyone is convinced of this plan though. Aki, Sid, Grey, and their allies have to band together against forces both alien and human if they are to have any chance at restoring peace to Earth. An enemy whose mere touch is fatal, the Phantoms appear the more dangerous enemy, but as they will come to find out, their human nemeses are also not to be trifled with. Only dub version available. For the first time in history 3D actually looks totally ok if not counting some difficult animations. Story about cool adult guys with guns confronting virus and losing allies in the process suits Resident Evil franchise much more than Final Fantasy franchise, but there are also aliens both in solid form from the past and as spirits, so let's stick with a series that allows pretty much everything. As for me, for a 105 minute movie it lacks excitement. Majority of time characters jut turn on some apparatus all over the planet and try to figure out remedy for the spirit aliens. Protagonists are forgettable and general impression is black and red as the movie main palette. It does not feel like a masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 6/10   22. Arete Hime Princess Arete アリーテ姫 [Studio 4°C] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Fantasy Confined in the castle tower by her father, princess Arete spends her days watching the world outside her window. Sometimes she seeks out to watch the common people at work. The knights of the kingdom compete for the right to marry her and rule the land by competing to see who can find powerful magic objects made by a long dead race of sorcerers. Arete wants none of this. She longs to meet the common people and travel to exotic lands she has only seen in the books she keeps hidden under her bed. One day the sorcerer Boax arrives in a fantastic flying machine and offers to take Arete as his wife and transform her into a proper princess. Rather boring story with bland characters overall, but at least the ending is unexpected and inspirational. It's a fairy tale that criticizes fairy tales. But it's only common sense, can't praise a story for just using logic and common sense instead of believing in superstitious tales.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Shenmue: The Movie シェンムー・ザ・ムービー [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Martial Arts, Strategy Game Action, Adventure Using scenes from the original SEGA Dreamcast game plus some extra made for the movie, Shenmue: the Movie details the events of the first game. After Ryo's father is murdered and a mysterious mirror taken, Ryo sets himself on a quest for revenge. Shenmue is just not an interesting story for me. Sega footage makes it even worse.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Inochi no Chikyuu: Dioxin no Natsu いのちの地球 ダイオキシンの夏 [Magic Bus] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Drama The anime follows a group of friends Giulia, Maria, Enrico, Lucio and Angelon during the disaster as they team up with a Japanese journalist Shiro Ando, and begin their own investigation of what's occurring (during the week long period of exposure when the ICMESA refused to notify citizens of the poison). As many animals are dying and people are getting sick. The children and Shiro discover deadly dioxin was released and inform Enrico's father, the town mayor, who evacuates all the citizens. Shiro continues investigating more and learns of the negligence of La Roche, a company who controls ICMESA. La Roche knew they were in violating of existing safety laws/protocols and destroyed evidence of their crimes. The children attend a press conference to ruin La Roche's reputation as the destroyed proof might not be enough in a court of law to punish them. Giulia's pregnant sister, who opted to not abort, gave birth to a healthy girl. The happiness is short lived, as the baby prematurely dies from dioxin poisoning. Not translated. Another historical disaster movie. If you read the synopsis, there's no real need to watch it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. Blue Remains ブルーリメイン [Arts Magic] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Sci-Fi  Post-nuclear Earth is barren, and life can't survive on the surface, so the few remaining people have lived under-water waiting for their time to be able to go to the surface. Amamiku and her faithful computer guardians, Pyron and Mayzamik, guard the seeds that contain the DNA for life and re-growth on the surface when the air is breathable again, but not everyone wants that to happen. Post-apocaliptic underwater confrontation with giant monsters is nothing revolutional. But these CGI are just godawful. Logic is also not the strong side here.   Overall Rating: 4/10
  18. kivandopulus
    Did not want to give Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu Deluxe a masterpiece to allow some other decent anime a highlight, but 'tis a barren wasteland this season.   1. Princess Tutu プリンセスチュチュ [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 3/38) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, Performing Arts Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance In a fairy tale come to life, the clumsy, sweet, and gentle Ahiru seems like an unlikely protagonist. In reality, Ahiru is just as magical as the talking cats and crocodiles that inhabit her town—for Ahiru really is a duck! Transformed by the mysterious Drosselmeyer into a human girl, Ahiru soon learns the reason for her existence. Using her magical egg-shaped pendant, Ahiru can transform into Princess Tutu—a beautiful and talented ballet dancer whose dances relieve people of the turmoil in their hearts. With her newfound ability, Ahiru accepts the challenge of collecting the lost shards of her prince's heart, for long ago he had shattered it in order to seal an evil raven away for all eternity. Princess Tutu is a tale of heroes and their struggle against fate. Their beliefs, their feelings, and ultimately their actions will determine whether this fairy tale can reach its "happily ever after." It reminds me Utena the most as there is also private girls school SOL and surreal battles full of powerful music and symbolism. But I'm not target audience, and I have no desire to watch it further.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Witch Hunter Robin (ウイッチハンターロビン)  [Sunrise] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Detective Action, Drama, Mystery, Supernatural  Robin Sena is a powerful craft user drafted into the STNJ—a group of specialized hunters that fight deadly beings known as Witches. Though her fire power is great, she's got a lot to learn about her powers and working with her cool and aloof partner, Amon. But the truth about the Witches and herself will leave Robin on an entirely new path that she never expected! I love Sunrise originals, I mean to bash them. It's a horrible super boring detective mystery with superpowers very rarely used at all. Sunrise scenario writer should have been fired long ago.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Saishuu Heiki Kanojo She, The Ultimate Weapon 最終兵器彼女 [Gonzo] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Military, School Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi Chise is an ordinary schoolgirl: small, frail, and not particularly intelligent. Her greatest joy is her budding romance with her classmate and childhood friend, Shuuji. They both live in a small military town in Hokkaido, where high schoolers have few concerns other than who is dating whom and complaining about the steep climb up "Hell Hill" every day before school. One day, Shuuji and his friends make a trip to Sapporo to buy gifts for their girlfriends. A massive air raid on Sapporo that day kills thousands, including one of Shuuji's friends, and signals the beginning of a war. Fleeing from the carnage, Shuuji spots Chise, though now she has steel wings and a massive gun where her right arm should be. Against her will, she has been transformed into the ultimate cyborg weapon, capable of leveling entire cities. As the war rages closer and closer to their hometown, Chise and Shuuji's relationship is strained by her transformation, and they are left to wonder whether she is even still human. Wow, I'm so enraged. Basically, this anime tries to be second half of Evangelion without normal introduction, right away presenting constant drama over nothing at all. There's no story, no action, just nakige where half of screen time is taken by crying and mindlessly blabbing characters. I understand that it was golden time of nakige back then, but this is an overkill and total waste of time on pure nonsense...   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Samurai Deeper Kyou Samurai Deeper Kyo   [Studio Deen] (Finished 5/26) Tags: Shounen Historical, Samurai Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural In the year 1600, at the fog-covered battlefield of Sekigahara, a fierce battle was waged by two exemplary swordsmen. One was Kyoushirou Mibu, a skilled and noble warrior in possession of the unique powers of the Mibu Clan. The other was the thousand-man slayer, with eyes and hair the color of blood, "Demon Eyes" Kyou. Their legendary clash was cut short when a meteor from the heavens fell down upon that battlefield, leaving both to vanish in its wake. Samurai Deeper Kyou begins four years after that battle, when a gun-wielding bounty hunter by the name of Yuya Shiina hunts down Kyoushirou—now a perverted, traveling medicine-man who has built up a large debt. On her way to claim his bounty, they are attacked by an inhuman monster that seeks to devour Kyoushirou. This encounter awakens "Demon Eyes" Kyou, whose mind has been trapped inside of Kyoushirou's body ever since that fateful battle. Thus begins a grand tale of legendary two swordsmen and the discovery of their secrets. A new bunch of sword and gun wielding characters gather to... do pretty much nothing except getting attacked constantly. Getting to know some lousy secrets is not a good enough motivation to watch this mess without much substance.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Dragon Drive ドラゴンドライブ [Madhouse] (Finished 2/38) Tags: Shounen School Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi If there's one word to describe Reiji Ozora, it would be "quitter." He can never find the motivation to finish anything, and loses interest at the drop of a hat. This all changes when his best friend Maiko introduces him to the new game "Dragon Drive." In this virtual reality game, each player is assigned a dragon tailored to match their personality and strength. Reiji hopes for a big, strong, scary beast, but instead, he is stuck with Chibi, a cute, friendly-looking dragon smaller than he is. How disappointing—except it turns out that Chibi is the rarest dragon of them all! Reiji finally discovers something he can remain interested in, and works hard to train both himself and his newfound friend. Soon this training will be put to use to save the world, for there are people who have dark aspirations for Dragon Drive! Another virtual reality fighting competition. Extremely bland and cliché.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. UFO Princess Valkyrie UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie 円盤皇女ワるきゅーレ [TNK] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi UFO Princess Warukyure, aka UFO Princess Walkyrie is about a princess from outer space who accidentally crashes on earth, where Kazuto desperately tries to maintain the public bath of his grandfather. Due to circumstances, Kazuto receives part of princess Walkyrie's soul which forces her to stay there with him. But that's not the only problem ... because her soul lost strength, the princess transforms both mentally and physically into a little kid! Very irritating fetish something, because I failed to see traces of comedy here, maybe parody.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Maou Dante Demon Lord Dante 魔王ダンテ [Magic Bus] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Shounen Mythology Action, Horror, Supernatural While sleeping one night, Ryo Utsugi had a nightmare of monsters attacking him. One day he learns a mysterious power to let him hear voices and have visions of girls getting killed, but one night he hears the same voice. If you don't like Devilman, don't even start as this is part of that franchise with those characters. Very familiar story and flow, and not likable for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Asagiri no Miko Shrine of the Morning Mist 朝霧の巫女 [Chaos Project, GANSIS] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Seinen Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural Since childhood, Tadahiro Amatsu has two different-colored eyes - one brown and one light hazel. But because of a dark secret behind his left eye, he's become a target for the masked sorcerer Ayatara Miramune and his band of demons. To combat the demons appearing all over town, Yuzu Hieda, a priestess in training, recruits four other girls from her high school. Under the supervision of Yuzu's elder sister Kurako, the five young priestesses must undergo months of training to master their abilities. Episodes are just 12 minutes long, so it's just cute SOL gags, average.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. G-On Riders G-on らいだーす [Shaft, TNK] (Finished 13/13) Tags: School Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi At Saint Hoshikawa School there is a secret group called the G-On Riders. Students with superior strength and ability are chosen to be in the group, which was formed to fight against alien attacks on the earth. However, many of the problems that the members face are ones amongst themselves, and the same is true for the invaders. And another student at the school, Ichiro, tries desperately to confess his love to Yuki, one of the Riders. Managed to watch it fully in the past since glasses fetish was rather unusual. Chaotic slapstick comedy not really worth discussing.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Fortune Dogs ふぉうちゅんドッグす [Vega Entertainment] (Finished 0/39) Tags: Pets Adventure  A French Bulldog is adopted from the Happy Kennel by a girl named Ai and is given the name Alex. She tells him stories and reads to him from a book titled The Adventures of Freddy about dog who leaves home to find the Fortune Tree. However, he is separated from Ai when he mistakenly follows a girl wearing the same clothes as Ai on a bus. Adopting the name Freddy, after the hero in Ai's storybook, Alex begins his quest to return to Ai. But before he can return to his owner, Freddy and his new friends must find the Fortune Tree and save it from dying, otherwise all the humans in the world will lose their good will and no longer care about their pets. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   11. Futari Ecchi Step Up Love Story ふたりエッチ [Chaos Project] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Romance, Ecchi Makoto and Yura Onoda are a newly-wed couple with zero sexual experience. Yura is a shy and naive 25-year-old woman whose good looks grab men's attention, something that she dislikes because she gets embarrassed very easily. Her husband Makoto is of the same age, but as opposed to his wife, he loves having dirty thoughts about other women. Physically though, Makoto is truly faithful to Yura. Both of them may be virgins, but now that they are married, they are ready to dive into the world of sex, "practicing" as often as possible. However, the world of sex is complex, so they need all the help they can get to find their way through it. Thankfully, their friends, acquaintances, and porn media lend them a helping hand. It's all around ecchi and about ecchi, plus some thematic comedy on the side, everything is quite expected.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Sentou Yousei Yukikaze Yukikaze 戦闘妖精雪風 [Gonzo] (Finished 5/5) Tags: Military, Psychological, Space It has been 33 years since an alien race, known as the JAM, emerged from a hyperspace passage over Antarctica with the sole purpose of invading Earth. Despite their unexpected initial assaults, a combined effort by humanity not only pushed the JAM force off of Earth but also moved the frontlines of the battle onto the JAM's homeworld of Fairy. Though out of sight and mind for the majority of Earth's inhabitants, the conflict still rages on Fairy, where the United Nations has established five bases and a powerful, technologically advanced military—including the Fairy Air Force (FAF). Lieutenant Rei Fukai acts as a pilot for the FAF Special Air Force’s Boomerang reconnaissance squadron, flying a Super Sylph fighter jet with the personal name "Yukikaze." Soaring high above and observing the battles for air superiority, he is responsible for collecting and analyzing valuable intelligence on JAM methods. While his flying skills are unmatched, he also heavily relies on the highly advanced weaponry and near-sentient AI system of his aircraft. Though despised by other members of the FAF for his antisocial and standoffish nature, Lt. Fukai continues to carry out his duties along with Yukikaze. However, during a particularly bloody battle, the appearance of an unresponsive and hostile aircraft catches the lieutenant off-guard—an aircraft which is of the same make and model as his own. SOL about space pilots. was really boring for me as execution is horrible and characters are totally forgettable.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magikarte ナースウィッチ小麦ちゃんマジカルて [Kyoto Animation, Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 5/5) Tags: Gag Humor, Mahou Shoujo, Parody Comedy Ungrar, the King of Viruses, has escaped from his prison cell in Vaccine World. Maya, the Goddess of Vaccine World sends Mugimaru down to Earth to find a human to accept the powers of Vaccine World and become the Magical Nurse. He finds the best (and the only willing) person for the job when he meets Komugi Nakahara. Komugi is a playful, lazy, and easily distracted (typical) teenager whose dream is to become a cosplay idol. Balancing her career with the Kiri-Pro Promotion Company and her new job battling Ungrar's loyal henchman, the Magical Maid Koyori, Komugi delights audiences in this parody anime series. Lighthearted cosplay competitions with some mahou shoujo elements - nothing that we have not seen.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu Deluxe ジャングルはいつもハレのちグゥ　デラックス [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor Comedy, Slice of Life After the events in the city, Haré and family come back to the Jungle. But it is never calm for Haré as he first must deal with an unstable substitute teacher, then with some big news: Weda is pregnant. The answer to how and who will change his family forever. Poor Haré, now has to deal with a father in addition to his drunk mother and Guu, and soon a sibling too. It's a sequel, so inherits some drama. Humor not stable here like was in the series, more like decent and with adding parody.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Koroshiya 1 The Animation: Episode 0 殺し屋１ THE ANIMATION EPISODE 0 [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Martial Arts, Psychological Action, Avant Garde, Drama, Horror A masochistic mobster meets his match in the dark streets of Tokyo. His nemesis, Ichi, is a psychopathic killer with an unrelenting thirst for bloodshed. A horrifying secret burns in his mind, and his hands deal death without mercy. At last, the shrouds of mystery are parted to reveal the origin of the monster. The city will know its greatest fear at the unveiling of Ichi the Killer. Disgusting avant garde movie about ultra violence..   Overall Rating: 4/10   16. Neko no Ongaeshi 猫の恩返し [Studio Ghibli] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Anthropomorphic Adventure, Award Winning, Drama, Fantasy High school student Haru Yoshioka is bored with the monotony of life. One day, she saves Prince Lune of the Cat Kingdom from being run over by a truck. As a token of gratitude, the Cat King sends her "presents" and invites her to the Cat Kingdom to become Lune's wife. Haru's inability to properly communicate with the cats leads to the misunderstanding that she has accepted the proposal. As Haru ponders on ways to escape the predicament, a mysterious voice instructs her to search for the Cat Bureau. However, not long after she finally arrives at the bureau, a horde of cats swarms in and forcibly takes her to the Cat Kingdom, along with a member of the Cat Bureau. Concerned for their safety, owner of the Cat Bureau, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, follows close behind. The more Haru immerses herself in the activities of the Cat Kingdom, the more cat-like she becomes. To her dismay, she soon learns that, unless she can find her true self, she may become a cat permanently. Haru's adventures in the world of cats lead her down a path to self-discovery, allowing her to return as a more confident person. Turns out I watched this, but forgot about it because of how forgettable it is. Mimi wo Sumaseba was on the weaker side of Ghibli movies, but someone decided that it was great and needed more development in a childish way... I'm just out of words for this poor logic, self-repeats are a sign of degradation. This is exactly average.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Sennen Joyuu Millennium Actress 千年女優 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical, Showbiz Action, Adventure, Award Winning, Drama, Fantasy, Romance At the turn of the millennium, Ginei Studio's dilapidated buildings are set to be demolished. Ex-employee and filmmaker Genya Tachibana decides to honor this occasion with a commemorative documentary about the company's star actress: Chiyoko Fujiwara, the reclusive sweetheart of Shouwa Era cinema. Having finally obtained permission to interview the retired starlet, an enamored Genya drags along cynical cameraman Kyouji Ida to meet her, ready to put his lifelong idol back in the spotlight once more. Hidden in this secluded mountain retreat is a thousand years of history condensed into one lifetime, waiting to be narrated. Chiyoko's recollections take them on an illusionary journey through Japanese cinematic history that transcends the boundaries of reality; the saga of her acting career intertwines with her filmography, the actors in her life blend seamlessly with the characters on screen, and the present melds with the past. Though the actress may have retired at the height of her career 30 years ago, the curtain on her life's stage has yet to fall. I don't like biography stories even if it's a story chosen to shape century perfectly and references are thrown around millennium. This is just not interesting, show made for media critics rather than wide audience.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Xevious ゼビウス [KENMedia] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Space Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi In the year 2150 A.D. space pilot Takeru and human computer Martha come across a giant ship which contains two mechanical beings called Sara and Ru Mi. They warn Takeru and Martha of the Gump, an alien race that is heading to Earth so that it can take over the planet. With only 40 mintues remaining until Earth's invasion, Takeru enters the Solvalou, a combat aircraft, and heads to the Gump's base on the planet Andoa. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10
  19. kivandopulus

    Anime of the Year 2001-IV Fall - Hellsing

    By kivandopulus,


    Anime of the Year
    Hellsing is the only title I deemed worthy at the end of 2001.    1. Hellsing Hellsing [ヘルシング]  [Gonzo] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Gore, Vampire Action, Horror, Supernatural Hellsing, an organization specializing in dealing with supernatural threats, is called in to eliminate a vampire that is turning the villagers of Cheddar into ghouls. To put an end to this, the leader of the organization, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, dispatches her most formidable asset: a powerful vampire known as Alucard. Armed with only a single handgun, Alucard wreaks havoc on the monsters plaguing Cheddar. However, a young police officer, Seras Victoria, gets caught up in the chaos and becomes mortally wounded as a result. Taking pity on the girl, Alucard gives her a choice: die as a human or live on as a vampire. Seras accepts his offer and begins a new life as a member of Hellsing. Though it was her decision, Seras struggles with the fact that she is no longer human. Nevertheless, she must embrace being a creature of the night soon if she wants to survive on the front lines in the fight between humans and the supernatural. One of the first watched anime, and for quite some time I thought that all Japanese anime are bloody. It's super cool, but coolness can't get over 8 in my evaluation system.   Overall Rating: 8/10   2. Tennis no Ouji-sama The Prince of Tennis テニスの王子様 [Trans Arts] (Finished 1/178) Tags: Shounen School Sports At the request of his father, tennis prodigy Ryouma Echizen has returned from America and is ready to take the Japanese tennis scene by storm. Aiming to become the best tennis player in the country, he enrolls in Seishun Academy—home to one of the best middle school tennis teams in Japan. After Ryouma catches the captain's eye, he finds himself playing for a spot on the starting lineup in the intra-school ranking matches despite only being a freshman. Due to his age, the rest of the Seishun Boys' Tennis Team are initially reluctant to accept him, but his skill and determination convinces them to let him in. Armed with their new "super rookie," Seishun sets out to claim a spot in the National Tournament, hoping to take the coveted title for themselves. In order to do so, the team must qualify by playing through the Tokyo Prefectural and Kanto Regionals. Yet, the road ahead of them is shared by a plethora of strong schools, each playing tennis in unique ways for their own reasons. Ryouma and his teammates must learn to cooperate if they want to become the champions they aspire to be. How many episodes? Anyway, it's an acclaimed spokon franchise with bishounens for girls. It's already super irritating from beginning, and I can only guess the depths of deterioration after several years of running .   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Hikaru no Go ヒカルの碁  [Pierrot] (Finished 5/75) Tags: Shounen School, Strategy Game Comedy, Drama, Supernatural While searching through his grandfather's attic, Hikaru Shindou stumbles upon an old go board. Touching it, he is greeted by a mysterious voice, and soon after falls unconscious. When he regains his senses, he discovers that the voice is still present and belongs to Fujiwara no Sai, the spirit of an ancient go expert. A go instructor for the Japanese Emperor in the Heian Era, Sai's passion for the game transcends time and space, allowing him to continue playing his beloved game as a ghostly entity. Sai's ultimate goal is to master a divine go technique that no player has achieved so far, and he seeks to accomplish this by playing the board game through Hikaru. Despite having no interest in board games, Hikaru reluctantly agrees to play, executing moves as instructed by Sai. However, when he encounters the young go prodigy Akira Touya, a passion for the game is slowly ignited within him. Inspired by his newfound rival, Hikaru's journey into the world of go is just beginning. I just don't consider Go a serious game. But the Japanese can make an anime out of absolutely anything, even out of pachinko as we saw recently. Then cheating one's way through ancient champion and showing off that you're playing for the first time is pathetic. There's too much focus on artistic beauty of actions rather than main matter. And of course everyone resigns like after filling a quarter of the field and viewers should believe that it was all calculated in advance for hundreds of turns. Bullshit. Two words were ringing in my head after every stupidity - March Lion. It's not fair to compare old anime with modern one, but March Lion is at least tenfold better in every regard. I admit Hikaru no Go has a nice flow and is more interesting than any spokon so far, but I don't give bonus scores for being older, and it's far from masterpiece considered the more modern rivals.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Groove Adventure Rave レイヴ  [Studio Deen] (Finished 2/51) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance  Fifty years ago, malevolent stones known as Dark Brings brought about the "Overdrive," a calamitous event that destroyed one-tenth of the world. In the present day, the nefarious organization Demon Card seeks the Dark Brings' power for their all but innocent intentions. Haru Glory, a sword-wielding silver-haired teenager, inherits the title of Rave Master: the person who wields the power of the legendary Rave Stones, artifacts capable of destroying the Dark Brings. However, the many Rave Stones were scattered across the globe as a result of the Overdrive, allowing Demon Card to continue their malpractices. Groove Adventure Rave follows Haru, his strange dog Plue, the fiery blonde Ellie, and the infamous thief Musica, as they embark on a great journey that will take them around the vast world, searching for the Rave Stones that will finally end Demon Card's injustice. Influx of brainless shounens is what I was afraid of after One Piece started, and this is exactly that case. Don't even know what more to say. It's horrible and flat and imitational .   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. X  X−エックス− [Madhouse] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Shoujo Super Power Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance His destiny has finally arrived as the young Shirou Kamui returns to Tokyo after 6 years. A powerful psychic, Kamui vows to protect the happiness of his childhood friends Fuuma and Kotori, even if it means avoiding them. But fate is cruel, whether or not Kamui wants to be involved; he holds the future of the world in his hands, given the choice of becoming a Dragon of Heaven or a Dragon of Earth. The Seven Seals gather, and so do the Seven Angels; all individuals who have their destiny carved out as one who would battle for the fate of the world. What future will Kamui choose to become reality? Bishounents, psychics, heavens and earth dichotomy... sigh, just synopsis triggers three red lights. There was already anime about those seven elemental dragons and bishounens Legend of the Dragon Kings, why go through all that anew... half of Chinese series have all that elemental cringe. I utterly refuse to understand what to like here.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden まほろまてぃっく [Gainax, Shaft] (Finished 5/12) Tags: Seinen Military Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Mahoro Andou is a powerful combat android designed by Vesper, a secret organization protecting the world against alien invaders. Unfortunately, her remaining operational time is running short. If she continues to fight, she will shut down in about one month. However, if she chooses to avoid combat, she can live freely for over a year. Suguru Misato is a high school boy who lives alone in a large house left behind by his late parents. Like any other boy his age, he has trouble taking care of the house on his own, so he decides to enlist the help of a maid. His problem is solved in the most unexpected way: when a couple of thugs hijack the bus he is riding, a young, beautiful girl wearing a maid outfit saves the day. It turns out that this girl is Mahoro, who has chosen to live her remaining days as Suguru's new maid. Mahoro makes the best of her remaining time and develops bonds with Suguru and his friends during their peaceful yet lively everyday interactions. However, Mahoro is hiding her true intentions behind becoming Suguru's maid, and it seems that their pasts are more intertwined than Suguru realizes. Watched first and last episodes in hope to see a small revolution that Gainax did with previous titles, and alas. It has some right points like discussion of contract, and there is also enough fighting action closer to the end, but this was a bad stage from the start. This concept of artificial girl showing up at boy's house is morally old and thus is not used nowadays as such concept provides only expected elements - the same story with alterations, fanservice and humor.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Captain Tsubasa: Road to 2002 Captain Tsubasa キャプテン翼 (2001) [Group TAC] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Shounen Team Sports Sports Tsubasa Oozora loves everything about soccer: the cheer of the crowd, the speed of the ball, the passion of the players, and the excitement that comes from striving to be the best soccer player he can be. His goal is to aim for the World Cup, and to do that, he’s spent countless hours practicing soccer, ever since the moment he could walk on two legs. Now, as he plays for the Barcelona team in a fierce game, it seems as though his dreams are on the verge of coming true. Captain Tsubasa: Road to 2002 tells the story of how Tsubasa climbed his way through the ranks, featuring his roots in the town of Nankatsu as well as his epic journey to master the art of soccer. World championship in Korea in 2002 gave some new breath to old franchises about soccer, but it does not mean shows have become better.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Vandread: The Second Stage ヴァンドレッド the second stage  [Gonzo] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Mecha, Space Action, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Though Hibiki and crew defeated a super-huge battleship of the earth in the last of the first stage, they noticed five battleships further aiming at Mejeiru and Tarahk. And, crew of NIRVANA learnt Tarahk and Mejeiru which were their home had been faced to the crisis of Karitori (reaping). Travel to their home is speed up so that they may inform of the crisis. On the way, current information of the earth having been brought by girl Misty who had come to travel with them was worse than they can imagine. Hibiki and crew noticed a true fight was in the future. VANDREAD is finally changed into final system by the attack of the enemy who becomes violent more and more. Can they save their home? And, what happens to the relations between Hibiki and Dita? Hey, we've got a new heroine! Sadly, this anime has much more grave issues than lack of heroines. It seems to have become a bit more coherent and slightly less obnoxious and sexist, but too little too late.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Final Fantasy: Unlimited ファイナルファンタジー：アンリミテッド  [Gonzo] (Finished 5/25) Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi  Years ago, the opening of an interdimensional portal released two beasts into the skies over the Sea of Japan, visible to all the countries along the coast. After destroying the naval patrol sent to investigate the disturbance, the two beasts then turned against each other. Witnessing the fight from Japan, scientists Joe and Marie Hayakawa were sucked into the rift. Upon returning to Earth, they compiled and published the academic findings from their voyage in a legendary book titled ''Day of Succession''. Attempting a second expedition to that other dimension twelve years later, the couple have not returned. Twins Ai and Yu Hayakawa decide to set forth in search of their parents and the mysterious Wonderland they studied. In the ruins of an abandoned subway station, the two wait for a train to take them to the world beyond. On board they meet Lisa Pacifist, who quickly decides to aid the two in the search for their missing family. Can the three of them manage to find Joe and Marie? With two non-fighting protagonists and vague goal of finding parents during adventures it's rather boring. Overextension and rather edgy CGI don't add points as well. Two kid protagonists are plain and irritating, and leftover fighting characters aren't given same amount of attention.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier Cyborg 009 サイボーグ009 THE CYBORG SOLDIER [Japan Vistec] (Finished 3/50) Tags: Shounen Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Skull, the evil leader of the terrorist organization known as Black Ghost, has nine powerful cyborgs under his control. But Dr. Isaac Gilmore, the Black Ghosts cybernetics scientist, decides to go rogue, helping the cyborgs turn against Skull and his evil organization. Black Ghost wishes to start the next major world war by flooding the market with weapons of mass destruction. It seems the nine brave cyborgs have their work cut out for them, as Black Ghost is determined to bring those nine cyborgs down. None of Cyborg 009 movies or OVAs were great, reinstallment series are also decent at best.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Hoshi no Kirby Kirby: Right Back at Ya! 星のカービィ [Studio Sign] (Finished 1/100) Tags: Parody Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  A diminutive pink creature orbiting in space called "Kirby" crash lands into Dream Land. Once getting acquainted with the citizens who live there in Cappy Town, he begins to defend the town from the monsters that King Dedede, the self-proclaimed ruler of Cappy Town, orders from the evil Nightmare Enterprises. Kids stuff, or for those who liked original games.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Chicchana Yukitsukai Sugar A Little Snow Fairy Sugar ちっちゃな雪使いシュガー [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy Season Fairies create and control the weather using special musical instruments. They make the wind blow, the snow fall, the sun shine; if it's something weather related, they are the ones who make it happen. Sugar, an apprentice Snow Fairy, and her friends Salt and Pepper, all want to become full-fledged Season Fairies, and the only way to achieve this is to search for and find the "Twinkles" that will make their magical flowers bloom. The only problem is that none of them have any idea what a Twinkle is. They enlist the somewhat unwilling help of Saga, a human girl who can see Season Fairies. Much to her annoyance, Saga's perfectly planned and ordered life has just become a little too lively for her taste. Together, they search for the mysterious Twinkles while trying to perfect their magic. It's all cute and childish ... and weird with all the weather fairy and precise time planning obsession. So there's no story and character development is getting sold as the core which is already very bad. And on top of that it's done during 24 empty episodes. Unless you can fare on cuteness alone, better not even start.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Otogi Story Tenshi no Shippo おとぎストーリー　天使のしっぽ [Tokyo Kids] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Harem Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Goro's down on his luck. He keeps losing jobs and has little money. One day he meets a fortune-teller outside of a pet store who predicts that his luck will change. That night three girls appear in his appartment claiming to be his guardian angels. Soon a total of twelve girls appear to help him, each one a reincarnation of a deceased pet once owned by Goro. Luck as main moving force , harem with 12 girls, reincarnation as half-pets - it's a serious rival for the title of the most irritating stage ever created. Totally bland and typical.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Najica Dengeki Sakusen Najica Blitz Tactics ナジカ電撃作戦  [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Najica Hiiragi, perfumer and secret agent, is sent out on a number of recovery missions to round up rogue humaritts, androids with combat abilities. Najica is assigned a humaritt partner, Lila, whom Najica is to groom as an agent and receive assistance from along the way. As Najica grows to accept Lila, each new mission they embark on reveals more and more about the capabilities and mysterious origins of the humaritts. It's so similar to Agent AIKa in everything including theme and designs and number of pantsu-shots , so I have a hard time deciding which one is actually worse. Let's settle this match with a Not Recommended draw.   Overall Rating: 4/10   15. Kaze no Youjinbou Kaze no Yojimbo 旋風の用心棒  [Pierrot] (Finished 9/25) Tags: Action, Drama, Mystery  In search for Araki Genzo, George Kodama finds himself in the small town of Kimujuku. George quickly realizes that he is unwelcome and is warned to leave as soon as possible. With two rival syndicates roaming the streets and a dark violent past, the town of Kimujuku isn't what it appears to be. George challenges the town of Kimujuku in order to reveal the towns dark hidden past and discover the truth. The premise is actually good, but it all depends on material and execution, and with 25 episodes nothing saturated and thrilling was hardly possible. So after three great episodes it becomes very random - some character story, some criminal investigation, some murder attempt. In the end you just need to like slow mystery crime thriller as a genre to like it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. I: Wish You Were Here Zaion: I Wish You Were Here i -wish you were here- ～あなたがここにいてほしい～ [Gonzo] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Action, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi  In the future, a meteor crashes into Earth and brings with it a virulent form of life. This virus is known as M34 and attacks humans, turning them into vicious monsters. Most of the human population is wiped out, thus government agencies are formed to fight the virus. One of the groups, NOA, inserts nanomachines into the bodies of its soldiers; these machines allow them to transform and fight off the infected. Unfortunately, the virus mutates and becomes too strong for NOA to handle. Now the fate of the world rests in the hands of 16-year-old girl with the power to defeat the virus. Alien virus pandemic is generally a good stage, depending on details, characters and execution. But four episodes are only enough to show defeats in the first three quarters and getting girl brainwave superweapon revenge later on. Sadly, result is only average.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Kokoro Toshokan ココロ図書館 [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Iyashikei, Workplace Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life Hidden away on a remote mountaintop, the Kokoro Library struggles to attract many visitors. Nevertheless, it is the home of sisters Iina, Aruto, and Kokoro, who consider it their mission to keep the library running in their parents' stead. Kokoro has long dreamed of becoming a librarian at the library with the same name as her, and tries her best to keep up with her older sisters. Due to the lack of patrons, the girls mainly spend their time sipping tea, chatting, and reading. However, as the number of mysterious visitors progressively increases, Kokoro begins to learn about the strange history of Kokoro Library—a place where small miracles seem to blossom. Probably originator of genre where girls just do ordinary stuff in cute way as this is literally in the synopsis "girls mainly spend their time sipping tea, chatting, and reading". Waste of time, as for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Gekitou! Crush Gear Turbo 激闘! クラッシュギアTURBO  [Sunrise] (Finished 2/68) Tags: Sports  After losing almost all their members the Tobita Crush Gear club is facing extinction. Kouya who dreams of being a Crush Gear Fighting Champion doesn't want to see the club become extinct and will do whatever he can to keep the club running and become a Cush Gear Champion. There have been at least two anime about toy robot battles already, and I consider it to be the most useless and pointless and incorrigible stage for anime. For me it's a clear indicator of kids show even if show tries to prove otherwise.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Project ARMS: The 2nd Chapter PROJECT ARMS -The 2nd Chapter- [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, School, Super Power Action, Fantasy The 2nd Chapter continues the story of Ryo Takatsuki and his companions' quest to discover the secret of the mysterious A.R.M.S. they all possess and what the future may hold for them. They now know where the answers lie but to get to them, they must fight a desperate fight of survival against a powerful military corporation that wants their secrets no matter what the cost. As a sequel, it's enough to sample a single episode. One of sad cases when there is a lot of effort applied to tell a so-so story that's plain not interesting no matter how many characters are introduced.   Overall Rating: 6/10   20. Babel Nisei (2001) Babel II: Beyond Infinity バビル２世 [Vega Entertainment] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Life seems simple for Kouichi, a young student, until he learns that he is the reincarnation of an alien protector who crashed onto the mantle of responsibility as "defender of the Earth," Kouichi/Babel teams up with a trio of super-powered alien companions to battle the the dark forces of an evil cult leader. The war to save humanity takes Babel from the deserts of southern Asia to the upper east side of Manhattan and ultimately to a final showdown with "the master" in a hidden base nestled in the Swiss Alps. The action is fast-paced and deadly. The fate of the world rests in the ability of this courageous youth to tame his latent psychic power and use it to defeat the enemies of mankind. Babel Nisei is one of my most hated franchises ever and I hoped it would settle down already after ancient series and OVA. Abomination.   Overall Rating: 1/10   21. Shiawase Sou no Okojo-san しあわせソウのオコジョさん [Radix] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Pets Comedy Haruka Tsuchiya is a plain and simple university student who has a pet by the name of Okojo-san. Okojo-san was actually born in one of the mountains in the North and brought to one of the pet shops to be sold. Determined to get out of the pet shop, Okojo-san formulated an escape strategy and ended up in the house of Haruka. There are always funny and strange occurances happening around the two, be it the people or animals who are near them. This is a gag anime in which absurdity is the main feature of the story. Partly translated. Surprisingly fun, but it's still mostly just gags about aggressive pets. If it was fully translated, I might consider a masterpiece score.   Overall Rating: 6/10   22. Geisters: Fractions of the Earth ガイスターズ FRACTIONS OF THE EARTH [Plum] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Military Action, Sci-Fi At the end of the 21st century, a meteorite collision plunged Earth into apocalypse, and the remnants of humanity went in two different directions to survive. The aristocratic Dobias headed into space, while the earthy Shioru went underground. Centuries later, they returned to Earth's surface and are now fighting for control of the planet—that is, when they're not busy fending off a new species of predators known simply as Creatures. Amidst this conflict, an elite team of five soldiers known as Geisters protects humanity from the Creatures and from each other. Although part of the Dobias, the Geisters have recently accepted a soldier of Shioru descent onto the team, and her take-charge personality leaves the other members unsure about her loyalty and usefulness to the group. With Dobias and Shioru tensions heating up on the political floor, Creatures running rampant, and a dangerous new weapon being developed in secret, the Geisters must maintain peace among themselves and the rest of society. Not translated, but half of it is dubbed. It reminds starship troopers, but with ugly CGI for enemies and battle suits transforming humans into some kind of Guyver. Can't say it's bad, closer to average, and in current translation form not watchable.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. A-jang.com 아장닷컴 [-] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Fantasy The spirit world, the real world and the Internet cyber world maintain peace and harmony by the Dimension stone, which was created by the three deities named Dragon King, Zeus and Zoolu. One day, Doddery had a date therefore he switched the stone guard duty with the Super Baby by bribing him with milk. A-jang fights hard with LuPin and Pigu till the end but in that process something goes wrong with the Dimension Stone and due to that unusual energy Spirit world becomes chaotic. Many spirits including LuPin and Pigu falls into cyber space and A-jang just manages to escape. Not translated. Korean anime is still too childish and as usual linked to virtual reality and gadgets. It's good to see more variation as one protagonist is a kid god from Olympus and others are ordingary kids with gadgets, but I'd lie if I said that I understood much of it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. 6 Angels シックス・エンジェルズ  [Arcturus] (Finished 2/6) Tags: Action, Sci-Fi  Deep in the deserts of southwestern United States lies "Neo Purgatory." Formerly a nuclear waste disposal site, the facility has been turned into a prison for hardened criminals; that is, until the prisoners weaponize the nuclear waste and riot, turning Neo Purgatory into an international disaster. Maki Aoba, Doris Nicholas, Marilyn Moreau, and Naomi Jones make up the "Guard of Rose," an all-female special police task force. Along with stowaway Katherine Hook and multi-purpose robot Link, the Guard of Rose is on patrol investigating rumors of an "angel" near Neo Purgatory when their helicopter is shot down. As the crisis within the prison rapidly devolves, the Guard of Rose members might be the only ones who can stop the prisoners before they unleash nuclear armageddon. Torn jumpy directorship, incomprehensible logic, difficult to follow story, bland characters. That's more than enough to bury this anime forever.   Overall Rating: 4/10   25. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - Seisou-hen Samurai X: Reflection るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚- 星霜編 [Studio Deen] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Historical, Samurai Drama, Romance Kaoru goes to the harbor every day to see if Kenshin has returned. After a while, she starts looking back at her life with Kenshin and all the things that have happened. It's basically previously great OVA moving by inertia, and since there's nothing really to tell, it introduces some meaningless duels to show transformation from assassin to protector. It's only an hour long overall , and there's no substance here for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   26. Fushigi Yuugi: Eikouden Mysterious Play: Eikoden ふしぎ遊戯 -永光伝 [Pierrot] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shoujo Isekai Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance After years of hardships interfered with their love, Miaka Yuuki and Taka Sukunami are finally married and expecting a baby—the pinnacle of their unbreakable bond. Unfortunately, not everyone rejoices alongside the blessed couple. Mayo Sakaki, one of Taka's students, has a crush on him and cannot bear witnessing the pair's flourishing relationship. Upon discovering The Universe of the Four Gods, Mayo learns that the old book is where Miaka and Taka first met as the priestess of the god Suzaku and the god's Celestial Warrior Tamahome. Unscrupulous about destroying a happy family, Mayo readily ventures inside with hopes of becoming the new priestess of Suzaku and rewriting the story to her advantage. Meanwhile, her actions do not delay to show devastating effects. Leaving an unconscious Miaka at the hospital, Taka must follow Mayo to The Universe of the Four Gods and stop her before the circumstances worsen for his wife and their unborn child. So we've had two epilogue OVAs, but of course that's not enough and we need the third epilogue OVA. This fanfic has an irritating heroine and feels different, not in a good way. Making a fantasy romance into a tricked pregnancy blackmail drama... weird, and bad.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Kai Doh Maru 怪童丸  [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Action, Fantasy  This story takes place during the Heian Period of Japan`s history, when evil spirits still resided in the forests, mountains and rivers. A girl, accompanied by her loved one, battles against these evil spirits, while she is disguised as man. This brave woman, aka "Kaidomaru", with a Chinese character "Flame" tatooed on her upper arm, was one of the "Four Devas". Kaidomaru fights for the honor of her lost love, Raikou Minamotono, who had sacrified his life in order to protect the capital Kyoto, from the evils deeds of a "princess" cursed by a malicious ogre. The princess, whom Kaidomaru used to play with as a child, has now become her ultimate enemy. It's only 45 minutes long and very messy with jumping across characters all the time. Palette is bleak and toned down, so it's not even good visually. Too chaotic and rushed to make sense.   Overall Rating: 4/10   28. Canvas: Sepia-iro no Motif Canvas ～セピア色のモチーフ [Studio Kyuuma] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Visual Arts Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life Asou Daisuke is a high school student and a gifted artist - but he is currently suffering from a block, which keeps him from painting. His childhood friend, Tachibana Amane, who loves him deeply, persuades him to do a portrait of Kimikage Yurina, a girl with a heart condition, before Yurina undergoes surgery. In the process of rediscovering his art, Daisuke also realises the love that he and Amane feel for each other Just telling the main story with two episodes would be fine, but with inclusion of ecchi it's compromised even at that.   Overall Rating: 5/10   29. Usagi-chan de Cue!! うさぎちゃんで ＣＵＥ!! [Chaos Project] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Action, Comedy, Romance, Ecchi  Mikami Inaba was fighting a person from another school on her school's rooftop. As they fought, her friend Haru appeared. Seeing Mikami distracted, the man charged at her, causing both of them to break the nearby rabbit cages & fall off the roof. As Mikami fell, she desperately grabbed the rabbit. Suddenly, a flash or pink light appeared. Mikami fused with the rabbit, and gained another personality, called Mimika. Now, Mikami only appears when various people threaten her and her friends. Otherwise, she takes on the form of Mimika. Hard to find anything remarkable here but ecchi itself.   Overall Rating: 4/10   30. Memories Off Memories Off (メモリーズオフ) [E&G Films] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Drama, Romance  Tomoya Mikami's life changed one day when his girlfriend Ayaka was hit by a car and killed on her way to meet Tomoya. He blamed himself for her death and never was the same after the accident. He began acting callously towards Yue and his other friends. Furthermore, every time Tomoya gets involved with a new girl, he sees images of Ayaka in his dreams. He decides he needs to find a way to say goodbye to his lost love once and for all, while dealing with several side romances at the same time. Hate this ever-tragic story, but it's a marker for the whole series to come. Good only for learning the roots .   Overall Rating: 5/10   31. Mahou Yuugi 3D 魔法遊戯 3D [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Comedy  Padudu is a 12-year-old apprentice witch, chosen to represent her town in the coliseum. Donning her magical fish costume, which keeps her warm and fed, she sets off on her journey. But on the way she's swept away by a river to Dance Valley. Mayor Koffy captures her and throws her into the dungeon, hoping to eliminate the competition for Dance Valley's own coliseum candidate. Luckily for Padudu, this dungeon holds the mysterious witch Nonononn. They join together in a magical fight for survival. At the end of Blue Gender Trailer, the Magical witchland word came out! 3D is very poor, 30 minutes is really short, random development is the worst.   Overall Rating: 4/10   32. Urarochi Diamond 裏路地ダイヤモンド [Studio 4°C] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure  Uraroji Diamond is a very interactive DVD which takes you inside a Studio-4C-style town with all the weirdness inside, while you scour for episodes (very short, black and white, weird episodes). Not translated. It's mostly just still manga strips with minimal animation. It's not animation, so I'm not even going to try to evaluate sketches themselves.   Overall Rating: 4/10   33. Slayers Premium スレイヤーズぷれみあむ [Hal Film Maker] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Lina and Gourry travel to a seaside town named Acassi, where octopus tentacle is a delicacy. However, the octopus meat carries a curse that dooms the eater to only speak Takogo (octopus language). Amelia, Zelgadiss, and Xelloss all show up, and the main four characters (Lina, Gourry, Ameria, Zelgadiss) get cursed. The octopi enlist the power of a mazoku to get rid of the humans once and for all. The white sorceress Ruma must learn the cure to the curse from her long-lost master in order to save the town. It's good that they finally understood not to use Naga in OVAs anymore, but this particular OVA is too short with 30 minutes, and it only has time for some slacking and some small unimpressive adventure.   Overall Rating: 5/10   34. Sakura Taisen: Katsudou Shashin サクラ大戦 活動写真  [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Performing Arts Adventure, Sci-Fi The Imperial Fighting Troupe is called again to defend Tokyo against the demons. However, this time, the Douglas-Stewart Company is selling a superior fighting machine that will revolutionize Japan's defense and make the Flower Division obsolete. However, the girls suspect something may be wrong when members of their team begin to vanish! But what can they do when their division has been placed on indefinite stand-by status? I hoped it would be summary of all fighting from all games, but of course it's rather just a filler between two games... well, at least it's battles and not theater.   Overall Rating: 6/10   35. The Siamese: First Mission シャム猫 / ファーストミッション [Maxell E-Cube] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action  Jun and Naomi are a pair of two attractive women who both work as radio station DJs by day, but when night falls they are elite counter-terrorism agents under the code name The Siamese Cats. Not translated. Something like Dirty Pair or Noir mission with grown up heroines. It's pure action, so a normal representative of the genre.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  20. kivandopulus
    Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex is a genius masterpiece.   1. Naruto ナルト [Pierrot] (Finished 3/220) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action, Adventure, Fantasy Moments prior to Naruto Uzumaki's birth, a huge demon known as the Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox, attacked Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village, and wreaked havoc. In order to put an end to the Kyuubi's rampage, the leader of the village, the Fourth Hokage, sacrificed his life and sealed the monstrous beast inside the newborn Naruto. Now, Naruto is a hyperactive and knuckle-headed ninja still living in Konohagakure. Shunned because of the Kyuubi inside him, Naruto struggles to find his place in the village, while his burning desire to become the Hokage of Konohagakure leads him not only to some great new friends, but also some deadly foes. A decent shounen that has a positive effect on some people. Never could understand that though, for me it's just a fine childish action with questionable comedy.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 攻殻機動隊 STAND ALONE COMPLEX [Production I.G] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Detective, Mecha, Military Action, Award Winning, Sci-Fi In the not so distant future, mankind has advanced to a state where complete body transplants from flesh to machine is possible. This allows for great increases in both physical and cybernetic prowess and blurring the lines between the two worlds. However, criminals can also make full use of such technology, leading to new and sometimes, very dangerous crimes. In response to such innovative new methods, the Japanese Government has established Section 9, an independently operating police unit which deals with such highly sensitive crimes. Led by Daisuke Aramaki and Motoko Kusanagi, Section 9 deals with such crimes over the entire social spectrum, usually with success. However, when faced with a new A level hacker nicknamed "The Laughing Man," the team is thrown into a dangerous cat and mouse game, following the hacker's trail as it leaves its mark on Japan. Series is of surprisingly high quality and still with Mayor Kusanagi. One of the best experiences possible with sci-fi anime.   Overall Rating: 10/10   3. Haibane Renmei 灰羽連盟 [Radix] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Psychological Drama, Fantasy, Mystery Born from a cocoon in the village of Old Home, a young Haibane—a being with a halo and small gray wings—awakens to a world she does not understand without memories of her past. Named Rakka for the dream of falling she had while inside the cocoon, she soon becomes accustomed to life in the strange town. However, there are strict rules for the Haibane, such as being forbidden to leave the village or go near the walls surrounding it. These, along with mysterious disappearances of their kind on their "Day of Flight," begin to unsettle Rakka and the others since they know almost nothing about their own kind. Haibane Renmei tells not only Rakka's story but also of those around her, as they live their lives with no memories of the past while trying to break free from their former pain and ultimately find salvation. Setting is indeed unique, but it's so painfully slow and SOL oriented that I can't tolerate if for long.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Mobile Suit Gundam SEED 機動戦士ガンダムSEED [Sunrise] (Finished 5/50) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Award Winning, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi In the year Cosmic Era 0071, the space colony Heliopolis remains neutral in the great war raging across the galaxy between Coordinators, human beings whose biological traits have been altered before birth, and Naturals, unaltered people who remain on the planet Earth. The Naturals' deep hatred of the Coordinators drove the advanced beings into space, seeking shelter in man-made colonies. Kira Yamato is a Coordinator and university student on Heliopolis, when his life is thrown into disarray as ZAFT, the military organization composed of rebellious Coordinators, attacks the colony in an effort to steal a set of five state-of-the-art military mobile suits known as Gundams. While ZAFT manages to make off with four of the mobile suits, Kira take control of the final Gundam, the Strike. Surviving the battle, Kira and his college friends join the crew of the Archangel, a ship run by the Earth Alliance, and the young soldiers experience the horrors of war and the loss that comes with it. Sunrise as diligent artisan has learned its craft over so many iterations - fill in varied characters, add lots of war measure references and of course let many characters die for drama to go on. Fells very artificial.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. GetBackers ゲットバッカーズ　奪還屋  [Studio Deen] (Finished 6/49) Tags: Shounen Super Power Action, Mystery, Supernatural Mido Ban and Amano Ginji are known as the Get Backers, retrievers with a success rate of 100%. Whatever is lost or stolen, they can definitely get it back. Despite their powerful abilities and enthusiastic behavior, Ban and Ginji are terminally broke no matter what they do simply because few people would actually desire to hire them. As a result, the pair of them tend to do dangerous jobs, often leading to unwanted re-encounters with their old (and dangerous) friends. Just episodic retrieval, usually with fighting in the process. Why even try if you can just make episodic shounen crap and people will still watch it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna Spiral: Bond of Reasoning スパイラル -推理の絆- [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/25) Tags: Shounen Drama, Mystery Ayumu Narumi has lived all his life in the shadow of his famous detective brother, Kiyotaka. However, Kiyotaka disappeared two years ago, leaving behind his wife Madoka and Ayumu himself, along with a cryptic message about the "Blade Children." One day, a girl at Ayumu's school suddenly dies. What seemed like a suicide at first glance turns out to be a murder, and Ayumu is the prime suspect. While investigating the person responsible for framing him, he discovers that the mysterious Blade Children are involved—and they somehow know Kiyotaka personally. Ayumu soon finds out just how dangerous the Blade Children are and learns that, in reality, he and Kiyotaka are intertwined more closely than he had ever believed. Another detective mystery. And again episodic. Ugh.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Kiddy Grade キディ・グレイド [Gonzo] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Mecha, Super Power Action, Sci-Fi, Ecchi In the distant future, humanity has taken to the skies and colonized many planets throughout the universe. An agency known as the Galactic Organization of Trade and Tariffs (GOTT) has been formed to maintain order. Within GOTT, a secret squad of enhanced human beings—known as the ES Unit—carry out secret missions to put a stop to major galactic crimes. Two such operatives are the lowly C-ranked Éclair and Lumière. Despite being on the bottom of the totem pole, the pair wield formidable powers: Éclair's superhuman strength and lipstick whip and Lumière's ability to take control of any computer. Together, they can take on any mission that GOTT throws at them. But as they complete more and more missions, the duo begin to uncover a major conspiracy that leaves them questioning everything they know about themselves and the entire galaxy. For a long time we have not seen reinvention of the bycicle, I mean imitations of Dirty Pair. Now there's more communication with HQ, but the episodic nature is intact.   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. Mahoromatic: Motto Utsukushii Mono Mahoromatic ~Something More Beautiful~ まほろまてぃっく ~もっと美しいもの~ [Gainax, Shaft] (Finished 2/14) Tags: Seinen Military Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi As the relationship between Mahoro, Suguru and his classmates develops further, another android girl enters their lives and becomes attached to Mahoro. All the while, the number of days before Mahoro is to shut down decreases steadily. There's a new cyborg girl, there's more ecchi, somewhat more of school, the core has not changed.   Overall Rating: 6/10   9. Hungry Heart: Wild Striker ハングリーハート Wild Striker [Nippon Animation] (Finished 2/52) Tags: Shounen Team Sports Comedy, Slice of Life, Sports As the younger brother of Japanese soccer star Seisuke Kanou, Kyousuke was always expected to grow as a soccer player at the same pace his brother did—an expectation that proved too difficult to meet. Having fallen behind, he now lives in the shadow of his brother's success. Entering his freshman year at Jouyou Akanegaoka High School, Kyousuke vows never to play soccer again. However, Miki Tsujiwaki, the captain of the girls' soccer team, and Mori Kazuto, the manager of the boys' team, recognize Kyousuke's potential and want to see his return to the game for their own reasons. With an opportunity to play soccer again, Kyousuke must either remain steadfast in his decision to abandon the sport he once loved, or allow himself to reignite that flame to become the best striker in the world. Noisy, cheesy, conveniently .   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Heat Guy J ヒートガイジェイ  [Satelight] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Detective, Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi  In the city of Judoh, Claire Leonelli has inherited leadership of the Mafia group "Vampire" following the death of his father. To keep Claire's and other criminal activities in check, the city's Bureau of Urban Safety has Special Services Division operative Daisuke Aurora and the super android codenamed "J" (whose identity is apparently kept in secrecy, as androids are banned in the city). With both of them around, crime now has little room to breathe in Judoh. Shounen variant of Ghost in the Shell with eternal episodic nature present. Some episodes are good, but overall it's a bumpy ride.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Hanada Shounen-shi 花田少年史 [Madhouse] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life, Supernatural Ichiro Hanada is a hyperactive little boy who lives with his parents, sister, and grandfather in a rural town. He is always up to some kind of mischief, often teasing his sister or making rude comments to others. Consequently, his mother constantly scolds him, and even the neighbours express disturbance from time to time on how rowdy he can be. One day, after pulling a terrible prank, Ichiro sprints onto the streets as his mother chases him. He steals a nearby bicycle and takes on a dangerous route, eventually being hit by a truck. Miraculously, he survives the crash, requiring nine stitches to the back of his head and balding for the surgery. However, the near-death experience gains him the ability to see ghosts—the last thing he needs in his life. Since Ichiro is the only one who can communicate with them, several ghosts of people who have recently died come to him, seeking help to fulfill their last wishes before achieving enlightenment. Each adventure with a ghost leaves the young and curious boy with a different lesson that gradually makes him wiser. Reminds SOL comedies of the 60s-70s, but also interchanges with this ghosts stuff. Protagonist is too young to make it interesting for me. The level of home violence is high here. If you don't get touched by immediacy of protagonist and stories of dead people, probably won't enjoy it just like me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Puchi Pri*Yucie Petite Princess Yucie ぷちぷり＊ユーシィ [Gainax, AIC] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shoujo Comedy, Fantasy Despite recently turning 17, the otherwise ordinary Yucie still has the body of a child. Having stopped growing past the age of 10, Yucie yearns to fully mature into an adult body. One day, she is chosen as a candidate for the title of "Platinum Princess," given once in a thousand years to whoever is worthy of the Eternal Tiara—a mysterious crown said to grant any wish. She's not alone either, as four other candidates also compete to have their own wishes granted by the crown. As a result, Yucie enrolls at the nearby Princess Academy in order to grow her heart and work towards becoming qualified for the Eternal Tiara. With her family, rivals, and even the principal of the academy there to lend a hand, will Yucie's much-desired wish finally come true? Gainax revolutionizes mahou shoujo genre... and just as with mahoromantic, succeeds only to an extent and only makes things worse by fitting it into two seasons instead of one. Themes are too childish and too boring for me, but I'm not fan of the genre anyway.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Choujuushin Gravion Super Heavy God Gravion 超重神グラヴィオン [Gonzo] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Mecha Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi The year is now 2041 AD. A new enemy called Zeravire suddenly appears in the solar system, destroying all military installations it comes across. However, a wealthy man named Klein Sandman is already aware of this planned invasion and had been secretly preparing his army for battle. His trump card is Gravion, a giant robot that utilizes gravity as its source of energy. Meanwhile a young man named Eiji secretly enters Sandman's base in search for his missing sister. It is there that he meets another young man by the name of Toga... These two must now fight together with four other individuals aboard the super robot, Gravion to fend off the Zeravire threat. Another attempt of mecha genre resurrection with the power of action and fanservice while saving most of the core cliché. Even pilot episode is bad, so can only guess the degradation ahead.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Overman King Gainer オーバーマン キングゲイナー [Sunrise] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Sometime in the distant future, mankind is forced to live in domed cities while the rest of the world is left to recover from years of environmental hardships. In the Siberian Dome-polis, professional gamer Gainer Sanga and mercenary Gain Bijou commandeer an Overman and lead a mass exodus out of the city. Sunrise original again, and scenario writer is still not fired, so the result is predictable. Confusion, inconsistency and artificial characters - all as we like it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Weiß Kreuz Glühen Knight Hunters Eternity ァイスクロイツ・グリーエン [ufotable] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Action, Drama Koua is an academy that brings Japanese's most talented people and students together. The mission is to train talented people to bear the world's future leadership. However, recently, the suicide rate in the academy is increasing and there is hardly any information being released to the public. Fujimiya Aya is sent to infiltrate this school carrying out criminal investigation and disguise himself as a teacher. In fact, actually, there is a connection between Koua academy and the global terrorist activities that are frequently occur. Therefore Persia assigns Hidaka Ken and Kudou Youji as well into this mission to solve the truth and connection of the incident behind Koua academy. Series started really weak, but improved substantially on the way, so OVA looked nice and serious. Short stories in each episode repelled me back then, but sequel is one big story over the course of one season, so why not watch it. As expected , curious beginning is followed by shallow middle and bloody resolution. Decent at best.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Galaxy Angel 3 Galaxy Angel A ギャラクシーエンジェルＡ; ギャラクシーエンジェルＡＡ [Madhouse] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi  Their mission is to locate and retrieve the mysterious Lost Technology, even though these girls have never been known to stick to their mission. Milfeulle, Forte, Ranpha, Mint, and Vanilla are back for another round of hilarity. The Galaxy Angels have sworn to protect the galaxy one planet at a time. Now with some competition with the newly-formed Twin Star Brigade, they continue to find themselves in the center of chaos... though usually they're the ones at fault for its cause. Triquel of an absurdist gag comedy.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Sister Princess: Re Pure シスター・プリンセス ～リピュア～ [Zexcs] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Harem Drama, Romance After a long time, Wataru has decided to leave his family home and live on his own. The girls have also decided to split up and most of them are living separately as well. But none of them have forgotten about their brother and still stick together to meet him. Without heavy imouto fetish nothing to do here.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Piano (TV) Piano: The Melody of a Young Girl's Heart [OLM] (Finished 3/10) Tags: Music Drama, Romance, Slice of Life  When Miu was young, she was fascinated by the piano and took up lessons. When the show opens, Miu is in middle school. She is shy, a soft-spoken girl who doesn't have a lot of confidence in herself. Her friends would describe her as "sweet" and "quiet." At this point, Miu has been taking piano lessons for some time and while people have told her that she's gotten very good over the years, Miu herself feels she's not really good at anything—including the piano. Her teacher, Mr. Shirakawa, is often frustrated with her playing. Although she plays every note exactly correct, her heart just isn't in it... Meanwhile, Miu's come of the age when she's noticing boys and this shy young lady has noticed the handsome Kazuya Takahashi—even if he hasn't noticed her. This is Miu's story. The story of a young girl who is on a journey to discover the melody within her own heart and the courage to express it. So it's just school SOL where one classic composition is eventually featured in each episode... just playing piano for fun... it not Nodame Cantabile for sure.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Bomberman Jetters ボンバーマン ジェッターズ  [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi  Deep Space, many different cultures have come together to live on planet Jet. To keep the peace an organization known as the Jetters is formed. This space police group fight against the villains known as the "Hige hige dan" making sure that the universe is safe. The leader of the Jetters Mighty is a powerful Bomberman, who is looked up to and respected....his brother however is a lazy crude slacker named Shirobon. Suddenly Mighty disappears and Shiro finds himself placed in a new situation. Shiro steps up and become a responsible Bomberman, and with the new friends he made of the Jetters it may become possible for him to be the next "Jetters leader." Another nonsense sequel that's impossible to be taken seriously.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Asobot Senki Gokuu Monkey Typhoon アソボット戦記五九 [Studio Egg] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi  Four years into the future, the world has lost its balance... 10 thousand metres of vast woodland is gone, preventing humans to live and leaving a desert to spread endlessly. And so, they head into the world of Meshichi, to live together with the Anbots. As if guided by fate, Sanzou and Gokyuu meet. Traveling together, Sanzou - a young man shrouded in mystery, Gokyuu - the strongest and worst Anbot around, Tongoh - an Anbot fond of drinking, Jou - someone who is great with machines, Suuji - a female Anbot thief, and last but not least, Mioto. And so, their journey begins to the boundless East, to the land where the sun was born! Author also wrote GetBackers manga, and in both cases those are typical representatives of the respective genres. Good elements here easily coexist with really poor ones like slapstick comedy and horrible cheeky pervert as protagonist and childish looking designs of enemies and some allies. But since it's all just about travelling with fights, for me it's only slightly better than Saiyuuki with similar concept.   Overall Rating: 6/10   21. Kikou Sennyo Rouran Strange Steel Fairy Rouran 奇鋼仙女ロウラン [Zexcs] (Finished 6/28) Tags: Mecha Action, Fantasy  When the secret occult society, Shiromorishuua, sends a huge monster to attack Tokyo, ASY, a peace-keeping organization in Japan, retaliates with a Gousen (metal faery). ASY's Gousen annihilates the creature after driving it into open ocean. Although successful, a surprise attack follows. A girl, floating in midair and glowing with radiance, strikes with a beam of light. This girl is "Rouran." She knows neither her identity, her origins, nor why whenever she senses the Gousen or Kyoushi (reanimated corpses) she transforms into an avenging angel. As Rouran worries about her mysterious existence, Tetsuya kindly watches over her in Tokyo Arcadia, a settlement of expatriates and dissidents. Episodes are only half the normal length just as previously in Neo Ragna. Just like then it's a unique mecha with decent enough setup stories, but too chaotic.   Overall Rating: 6/10   22. Shin Seiki Den Mars 神世紀伝　マーズ [Plum, Studio Guts] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Shounen Mecha Sci-Fi Mars is discovered on a forming volcano island, Heisei; a man with no memory. In reality, Mars is from outer space, and is supposed to gather information to decide whether Earth should be destroyed or not. Along with the giant robot Gaia, and his mysterious images of a woman urging him not to destroy the world, Mars decides to fight for Earth rather than destroy it, even if it means fighting his own kind. But if Mars is killed, Gaia will explode, destroying Earth along with it. Such concept feels very old, and indeed manga was published in 70s. Nostalgy or real mecha affinity are the only reasons that I can imagine to watch it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Tsuri Baka Nisshi 釣りバカ日誌 [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/36) Tags: Comedy, Slice of Life  Hamazaki Densuke (Hama-chan) is an unavaricious white-collar worker who does not have any interest in success and self-protection. Even though he incurs the wrath of his superior and stir ill feelings from his wife, Hama-chan prefers to take things at his own stride and goes fishing. He feels that there are more important things in life than work and enjoys the simple things in life such as fishing. Not translated. A decent SOL with inclusion of office work, sadly won't get translated anytime soon.   Overall Rating: 6/10   24. Kyojin no Hoshi: Tokubetsu-hen - Hanagata Mitsuru The Star of the Giants (Hanagata) 巨人の星【特別篇】猛虎 花形満 [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 0/13) Tags: Drama, Sports  Mitsuru Hanagata spent his early childhood in the UK, where he developed a noble spirit by fighting back against the bullying faced by Asian people. After returning to Japan, he becomes the leader of a baseball team of juvenile delinquents and meets his eternal rival, Hyuuma Hoshi. After going to Koshien, the two rivals join Tigers and Giants respectively as professional players. They face-off against each other as they continue to improve their skills, Hyuuma as a pitcher who throws "Big League" balls and Hanagata as an aggressive player. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   25. Macross Zero マクロス ゼロ [Satelight] (Finished 5/5) Tags: Mecha, Military Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Taking place one year before the Zentraedi arrive on Earth, Macross Zero chronicles the final days of the war between the U.N. Spacy and anti-U.N. factions. After being shot down by the anti-U.N.'s newest fighter plane, ace pilot Shin Kudo finds himself on the remote island of Mayan, where technology is almost non-existent. While Shin stays on the island to heal his wounds, the tranqulity of the island is shattered by a battle that involves the UN's newest fighter - the VF-0. I did not rate even original as masterpiece let alone this short CGI-filled prequel. Drama itself is not bad.   Overall Rating: 6/10   26. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Quiet Country Cafe ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 Quiet Country Cafe [Ajia-Do] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Seinen Iyashikei Sci-Fi, Slice of Life In the twilight of the human age, mankind continues to persevere, resisting the lull of nature's reclamation. For Alpha Hatsuseno and her café, things have not changed. The familiar sights and scenery instill a comforting solace—a sentiment cherished by Alpha. One day, however, a radio weather report forecasts an approaching typhoon that threatens to undermine the enduring peace. After taking refuge at Ojisan's gas station and returning to the café, Alpha is devastated to see that her beloved shop had been ravaged by the storm. Determined to restore it back to its former glory, she resolves to find other jobs as a way to fund the repairs. The journey into the unknown is an opportunity to explore what remains of civilization, and Alpha seizes this chance to expand her view of the outside world. Never knew there was a sequel. But how did they manage to make it even more boring now? They are literally wasting time and that's all they do. I'm in awe of such straightforward impudence.    Overall Rating: 5/10   27. I''s フロムアイズ ～もうひとつの夏の物語～ [Pierrot, Arms] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Drama, Romance Aiming to become a modeling artist, Itsuki, a childhood friend of Ichitaka who went to America has come back to Japan. Iori who refused the idol path and started to pursue her ambition to become an actress instead. Ichitaka, wandering on his bicycle alone, tries to decide his choice between the two persons. A short and unremarkable love triangle story.   Overall Rating: 5/10   28. Space Pirate Captain Herlock: Outside Legend - The Endless Odyssey  [Madhouse] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Seinen Space Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi On an archaelogical mission to the end of the known universe, Professor Daiba unwitting unleashes an ancient horror from its confines. Five years later the malevolent alien force sets in motion a plan which reunites the various crewmembers of the Arcadia to sail the stars once more as well as bring Tadashi Daiba to meet Harlock for the first time (again). I expected more, not super irritating Daiba and story about some aliens with psychic abilities. And there are also very silly moves and miraculous survival through them. Loses in integrity and consistency even to Battleship Yamato.   Overall Rating: 6/10   29. Happy World! [Zexcs] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Ecchi  Oomura Takeshi is one unlucky fellow. He has has this case of bad luck ever since he was little. One day, while on his normal runs with bad luck, he meets an Angel named Elle, and he finds out that his father wished the curse of bad luck upon him. Takeshi has the oppurtunity to pass on the curse, but accepts it to save a young girl. For his noble act, Elle becomes human and lives with Takeshi to protect him from the curse, which is something Takeshi isn't particularly happy with. No idea what it tried to do, but it definitely failed... something lighthearted and aimless.   Overall Rating: 5/10   30. I'll/CKBC  [M.S.C] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen School, Team Sports Action Pressured by his family's background and expectations, high school student Hitonari Hiiragi has been considering quitting basketball. However, after meeting Akane Tachibana, Hiiragi's love for the sport is reignited. As he joins the Kouzu High School basketball club, Hiiragi aims to pursue his own path in basketball together with his cherished teammates. But despite having fun with his newfound comrades, Hiiragi eventually starts to question whether he can achieve his dreams with the current team and environment. As they each struggle with their differing approaches towards the sport, Hiiragi and the team ponder what it truly means to play basketball together. Some average spokon drama, characters behavior was very irritating.   Overall Rating: 5/10   31. Gakuentoshi Varanoir Joukan 学園都市ヴァラノワール 上巻 [Idea Factory] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Action  Based on a Playstation 2 game by the same title, Varanoir's story takes place in a Magic University called.. well Varanoir. Students in this university are trained here for war preparation against the devil master. The main characters of the story is Myu, a granddaughter of Jii. Jii was a great swordsman in the past and he taught various sword fighting skills to Myu, although he's working as a chimney cleaner right now in Varanoir. Myu then decides to go to Varanoir for training to become a fighter. In Varanoir, Myu meets Ryuto, a talented student. However, Ryuto always sees Myu as her rival. Nonsense rivaling the title of the worst anime in history.   Overall Rating: 4/10   32. Blue Gender: The Warrior [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Adventure, Drama, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi It is a time of chaos. Earth is no longer what it used to be. It has been infested with a bug like species called the Blue. 20 years ago Yuji Kaido, who has a mysterious disease, is put into suspended animation until a cure is found. When he wakes up Yuji learns that it’s been more than 20 years since he was put into suspended animation, and the world is now controlled by these creatures. He then decides to join a group of soldiers fighting against the Blue for hope of a better future. Sadly, only retelling of the series, nothing really new.   Overall Rating: 6/10   33. Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space タマラ 2010 ア パンク キャット イン スペース [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Psychological Avant Garde, Comedy, Sci-Fi In the year 2010, practically one hundred percent of Cat Earth's GDP comes from the megacorporation Catty & Co., which is rapidly spreading across the rest of the galaxy. Here lives Tamala, a beautiful yet foul-mouthed cat, who decides to travel to the planet of her birth, Orion. After an unfortunate crash landing on the planet Q, Tamala meets Michaelangelo, a fellow cat, whom Tamala refers to as "MoiMoi." As Tamala and Michaelangelo explore the planet's capital, Hate City—which is under martial law to separate the feuding cat and dog populations—they pass by graffiti and museum exhibits about the ancient cult of Minerva that speak of something dark and sinister. After Tamala catches the eye of the extremely violent motorcycle-riding Kentauros, she and Michaelangelo flee, but mysteries about Tamala's identity continue to surface. Why did Tamala originally leave Orion, and what exactly is her connection to Catty & Co.? I'd call it Cat Soup, part two, just nonsense.   Overall Rating: 5/10   34. Aterui アテルイ [Magic Bus] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Historical Action, Fantasy A pseudo-historical movie that follows a modern day elementary schooler as he's tossed back into time to observe Aterui--a real leader of the Emishi who fought against the Imperial Yamato Court. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10
  21. kivandopulus

    Anime of the Year 2002-I Winter - Palme no Ki

    By kivandopulus,


    Anime of the Year
    No masterpieces as usual, personally enjoyed Palme no Ki more than others.   1. Full Metal Panic! フルメタル・パニック！  [Gonzo] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Mecha, Military Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi Mithril, a covert military institution using state-of-the-art technology to combat terrorist operations, assigns a specialized team to a sensitive mission. Under the command of superior officer Melissa Mao, sergeants Sousuke Sagara and Kurz Weber must secretly protect Kaname Chidori—a teenage girl who unconsciously holds breakthrough scientific knowledge and is considered a "Whispered"—from intelligence agencies and other organizations pursuing her abilities. While Kurz and Melissa are to assist him remotely, Sousuke enrolls at Kaname's high school as one of her classmates to closely monitor her. However, his militaristic upbringing and poor social skills lead to a difficult adjustment to civilian life. Not only does he attract unnecessary attention, but his actions frequently make Kaname suspicious of him. Despite the earnest attempts to fulfill his duty, a terrorist ambush further complicates Sousuke's task. Recognizing the vicious mastermind behind the assault, Sousuke abandons his orders to ensure Kaname's safety. Watched it all in the past. but did not expect it to be so old. And even at that time it lost its charm by some 9th episode and started to be a drag. It never felt like mecha to me, more like romcom with rather flat humor. Today it looks even worse as the number of cliché characters and situations outrages even though it might not be the case back then.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Onegai☆Teacher Please Teacher! おねがい☆ティーチャー [Daume] (Finished 12/12) Tags: School Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi  One day, Kei Kusanagi notices a strange glowing woman by the lake. He discovers that the woman is actually an alien officer from the Galaxy Federation named Mizuho Kazami, and even more shocking—she's also his teacher! In spite of this setback, he and his teacher gradually get to know each other and a romance blossoms between them. However, soon enough, the principal of the school finds out about their relationship. The solution? Get married! Together, the newlyweds must keep their marriage a secret, not only from Kei's high school friends, but also the Galaxy Federation. Onegai☆Teacher is the fragile but comedic love story of an alien and her student. Another familiar title that looked fine and even interesting in the past. Today I'd say its best advantage is adequate length as alien female interfering into everyday life is nothing new, and romance is rather strange and forced. Humor is average at best. It aged too much.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. RahXephon ラーゼフォン [Bones] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha, Music, Psychological Action, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi The ordinary life of high school student Ayato Kamina is turned upside down when Tokyo is suddenly invaded by futuristic fighter jets. Amidst the chaos, he encounters a woman called Haruka Shitow who claims to be from a government organization called TERRA. She reveals that he has been living in a time bubble named "Tokyo Jupiter" that was put in place by the Mulians—humanoids from another dimension—in an attempt to isolate and take over Tokyo. TERRA has been trying to break through the barrier surrounding the city ever since. Unable to process the revelation, Ayato panics and flees. He runs into his classmate Reika Mishima who leads him to a place called "The Shrine of Xephon" where a large egg slumbers. She starts to sing and an unknown power awakens within Ayato, connecting him to a being called RahXephon that breaks out of the egg. Shortly after, Haruka finds him again and tries to make him join her cause of fighting against the Mulians. Caught between the crosshairs of the Mulians and TERRA, Ayato begins to question his purpose, navigating altered memories and ultimately his very identity in this chaotic new world. Another overextended show, and moreover with singing mecha. It starts rather chaotically and no explanations ever follow. Guess some explanations will only occur after the filler-filled middle, so I'd prefer to wait for the movie to see if it makes any sense at all.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002 Beyblade V-Force 爆転シュート　ベイブレード2002 [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Sports The Bladebreakers have to join forces once again because a mysterious group under the lead of Oozuma has defeated them, but the real enemy is not Oozuma. The real threath is formed by a group of people who use cyber-BitBeasts to capture the original ones from the Bladebreakers. I don't remember prequel , because it was properly marked as material for kids. Brief sampling is enough to prove the same about sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Kanon カノン [Toei Animation] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Drama, Romance, Supernatural  It’s been 7 years since Yuuichi Aizawa visited his aunt Akiko, but now that his parents have gone to Africa to pursue their careers, he is finally back in the little northern town. Yuuichi is not really overjoyed with the prospect of living here though, because all of his memories of this place and the people living in it have mysteriously vanished. His cute cousin Nayuki seems like a stranger as well, even though he used to play with her all the time when they were younger. On the day of moving into his new home, Yuuichi starts unpacking the boxes and stumbles upon a red headband that no one seems to recognize. This is one of the first clues that will make Yuuichi take a stroll through the snow-covered town and make him start recalling fragments of his past, broken promises and buried secrets. Yuuichi soon realizes that there is something supernatural going on, and all of his new female acquaintances seem to have links to his forgotten past. It felt quite fresh back then. Today it's still interesting, because it's based on a lot of material from the game and thus does not repeat or have any fillers. There is some humor and cuteness, plus a lot of conversations are lively. But the whole stage of boring MC with amnesia or something returning to home town and by huge consequent strokes of luck making a harem from girls is more interesting from writer's viewpoint than from viewers'.   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Kinnikuman II Sei Ultimate Muscle キン肉マンII世 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Shounen Combat Sports, Martial Arts Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Sports Kinnikuman II Sei takes place several years after the events of the original Kinnikuman. Mantarou Kinniku is the 59th prince of Planet Kinniku and son of the renowned wrestler, King Suguru. Lazy, immature, and cowardly, Mantarou seems to have little in common with his heroic father. When a powerful group calling themselves the dMP threatens the Earth, only someone as powerful as Kinnikuman stands a chance against them. Not knowing the current whereabouts of the King, a plan is formed to have his son Mantarou take up the mantle. The idea of fighting super villains does not sit well with Mantarou, who initially runs away from his duty. He flees to Earth where he encounters Meat, his father’s old trainer. Despite Mantarou's shortcomings, Meat sees King Suguru in him, and believes he can set the prince on the right path. Thus begins Mantarou's journey to better himself and save the world. I've lost count of Kinnikuman iterations by now and - frankly - I'm sick of it and its unfunny humor. The changes in allies are actually welcome , but this series is long beyond redemption.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Ojamajo Doremi Dokkaan! おジャ魔女どれみドッカ〜ン！ [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Shoujo Comedy  Hana now becomes a peer of the Ojamajo. When Majotourbillon's spirit revives, the witches now have to break her curse. From the help from Pao-chan, Doremi, Hana, and the other witches are able to defeat the curses. Did not expect it to last for four huge seasons. Flow is still nice, and kid with body of pupil provides ample humor opportunities.   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution アクエリアンエイジ Sign for Evolution [Madhouse] (Finished 6/13) Tags: Music, Super Power Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Five supernatural factions have been fighting against each other for who knows how many centuries, with the beginning of Aquarian Age always in mind. Kyouta, soon begins to see visions of mystical girls fighting, except they do exist. Soon he and his girlfriend Yoriko become involved and the battle for Earth and Aquarian Age lies in their hands. What intrigued me the most is the fact of five factions - why would so many be needed? And the answer to this question is basically just because there are five girls in semi-romantic relations with MC, and at emotional states they have spiritual power outbursts. It's all really super confusing and it's probably leading to some resolution, but it's very poorly done and absolutely sour.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Galaxy Angel Z ギャラクシーエンジェルＺ [Madhouse] (Finished 1/9) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi In the far future, the human race advanced to space, and prospered. However, Jikushin ( earthquake of time and space ) which occurred suddenly intercepted all networks, and all the civilizations were reset. However, the human race begins to revive, and enters the prosperity age of The Second by the Transvaal imperial country which rises at the center of the galactic system. The science and technology before the civilization was reset, that is, "Lost Technology" was considered to be god`s task. And, it came to be worshiped by the priest who was called "Tsuki no miko". On the other hand, a certain guard fleet was stationed in the frontier of the galactic system. Though it was the seemingly perfectly ordinary army, the team composed only of the woman called "Angel Corps" existed in this army. They controlled the spaceship which was called "Angel Frame" which was the relic of Lost Technology. And, they collected the lost technology by using the angel frame, and carried out the duties to manage them. They were not the elite pilots, but Angel Corps was rather an eccentric person`s group. Arms mania`s Forte, costume player`s Mint, taciturn Vanilla, showy Ranpha and Milfeulle who likes cooking ... Every time, they cause a big trouble in the mission. More of aimless trifle adventures, but humor has improved, so for those who don't care about actual plot it may be even decent.   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Patapata Hikousen no Bouken The Secret of Cerulean Sand パタパタ飛行船の冒険 [Telecom Animation Film] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Adventure, Sci-Fi  Jane's mother dies when she is born, and her father, a rich English aristocrat, soon remarries to a woman with a son, William, who despises his new father and brother. George and Jane grow up with a dream to make a flying machine. George believes the distant Asian sands hold a secret: a mysterious cerulean sand which can make machines fly. He goes on an expedition to find it, and soon is reported executed for treason. William disappears too. After she recieves an unsigned letter holding a handful of pale-blue sand which floats in the air, Jane is sure her brother is alive and leaves to the East to find him and prove him innocent. There are many mysteries to unravel in store for Jane and her new friends on her journey. But perhaps a mystery should forever remain a mystery... It's similar to Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water in most aspects. I often complain about confusing narration, but this is the opposite case - everything is explained instantly and thoroughly, as many as three episodes are given for introduction, and we even know the antagonist by the end of this period. So what's left is action adventure to lead to antagonist and return the good name and goods. Basically, it becomes too simple and not interesting enough, as for me, but it's a decent anime for family watch or for younger auditory.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Shichinin no Nana 七人のナナ [A.C.G.T.] (Finished 3/25) Tags: School Adventure, Comedy, Romance On the last Valentine's Day before her high school entrance exams, Nana Suzuki tries to build up the courage to confess to her longtime crush. However, when her chocolates are accidentally ruined, she rushes back to her house to make more—not realizing that the microwave has been turned into a strange invention by her grandfather. Suddenly, six additional copies of Nana appear, each possessing their own extreme personality and a crystal that grants them magic powers! With her plans ruined, Nana vows to confess to her crush in her first year of high school. The only problem is that her crush is top student Yuuichi Kamichika, and following him to his elite high school will mean that she has to hit the books. With six new allies to help her, Nana begins to prepare for anything that the exam season might throw at her. Cute little shoujo comedy that satisfies the need of synchronized actions as if it's a constant idol gig. It's rather silly, so just can't take it seriously.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Kakutou Ryouri Densetsu Bistro Recipe Fighting Foodons 格闘料理伝説ビストロレシピ  [Group TAC] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Shounen Strategy Game Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Gourmet An 11-year old boy named Zen bands together with his younger sister, Karen, and a young boy who has a large appetite, Pitan, to battle an evil empire by using their "Foodons"; strange monsters that are created from various foods. Dub only. Did not expect a cooking show to be a show for kids, but it's more fighting action than cooking anime, just fights participants are... cooked dishes... Probably resembles Pokemon the most.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Genma Taisen: Shinwa Zenya no Shou Genma Wars 幻魔大戦－神話前夜の章 [E&G Films] (Finished 6/13) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Supernatural In the distant future, monsters and inhumans roam the land, and the ruling Evil King seeks a human woman to bear him powerful, force-adept heirs. Non offers herself to the Evil King in order to save her village from Ape Clan raiders, and gives him twin sons, Loof and Jin. She and her sons are exiled by the ungrateful villagers, however, and Non's companion Nue (a Demon Clan member changed into a wolf for disobedience) takes Loof to be raised by his father, the Evil King. The Evil One's Queen Parome despises humans, however, and her malevolence towards Loof deepens... Manga is from 60s, so character designs are corresponding. Genma Taisen movie from 80s had a different plot about psychics and robots war. This one is more like fantasy with psychic powers. Actually, I remember a very similar fantasy anime movie with two brothers with similar names separated in the childhood and one getting brought up as hero and the other as villain, but could not find that movie. Feels too morally old already.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Kick Off 2002 Kick Off (2002) キックオフ２００２ [-] (Finished 0/26) Tags: Team Sports A soccer animation produced for the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Korea and Japan. The main characters are two young men, a Japanese playmaker and a Korean striker. Friendship with teammates, their growth as soccer players, etc. are drawn. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   15. Hoshi no Koe Voices of a Distant Star ほしのこえ [CoMix Wave Films] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Space Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi It is the year 2046, Noboru Terao and Mikako Nagamine are close friends who will soon be graduating junior high school. But after an alien attack on humanity, Mikako is selected for the UN military space expedition set to retaliate against the aliens. Separated, Noboru and Mikako attempt to keep in touch by sending emails to each other with their cell phones. Yet as the expedition journeys farther from Earth, the time it takes for them to transmit and receive each other's messages increases substantially. Hoshi no Koe revolves around the relationship between this couple as they try to stay connected despite the growing distance between them. Slightly over 20 minutes, seriously? I have not watched much from Makoto Shinkai , but his style is guessed instantly It's a too short work to seriously discuss.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Arcade Gamer Fubuki アーケードゲーマーふぶき [Shaft] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Parody, Super Power, Video Game Action, Comedy, Sports, Ecchi Fubuki Sakuragasaki is a powerful gamer who, with the power of her Passion Panties, climbs up the ranks of the BAG (Best of Arcade Gamer) tournament to become the greatest Arcade Gamer in the world. However, the evil Gulasic Group is out to conquer the world through said tournament, and their gaming skills will prove to be a challenge. Fubuki must team up with the legendary Mr. Mystery to combat the four Gods of Gaming and make the world of arcade gaming safe for all. It's a ridiculous fanservice superpower parody comedy... at least I could not come with a better definition for all that mess. It's a weird mix, but it does not feel good, even humor is so-so.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Koukou Tekken-den Tough Shootfighter Tekken 高校鉄拳伝　タフ [AIC] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action Years ago there was an underground match between Pro Wrestling and Nanshin Shadow Stlye (a secret and deadly form of martial arts) to see which form of martial arts was dominant, The Nanshin Shadow style came out victorious in the battle. Now in the present, the man who was defending Pro-Wrestling is back and is out to destroy Nanshin Shadow style in any way he can; however, it is now up to Kiichi, the son of the previous victor to defend the name of Nanshin Shadow style and it is his job to keep it from being completely erased from existance. The most manly writer ever is back with most manly manliness in every scene. For those who did not like Riki-Oh best not even start. Contents is rather stupid as it's another Bruce Lee story variation , but may be worth a laugh.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Sweat Punch スウェットパンチ [Studio 4°C] (Finished 3/5) Tags: Historical, Mecha Action, Fantasy Sweat Punch is a series of five Studio 4°C shorts collected as a direct-to-DVD package film entitled Deep Imagination. Absurdity rules the show during short episodic stories, so it's alien to me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Ajisai Yumegatari 遙かなる時空の中で 〜紫陽花ゆめ語り〜  [Zexcs] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shoujo Historical, Isekai, Mythology, Time Travel Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural Whisked away to the land of Kyou, Akane learns that she is the Ryuujin no Miko, and meets the Hachiyou, her protectors. They must defeat Akuram, a demon who wants to destroy Kyou using the power of Azusa, a woman who has the power to absorb human energy. If Akane and the Hachiyou cannot defeat Akuram and bring peace to Kyou, Azusa'a power will destroy the humans. Again shoujo with a harem of bishounen protectors. Only rushed concept explanation and some action fit into those 50 minutes.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. WXIII Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor WXIII 機動警察パトレイバー [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Detective, Mecha Sci-Fi When the level of Labor accidents begin to escalate around Tokyo Bay, police detectives Kusumi and Hata are assigned to investigate. What they discover leads to a series of government cover-ups, conspiracy concerning a new biological weapon entitled WXIII-Wasted Thirteen and a tragic, personal connection to Hata. The only hope to stop this threat is to cooperate with the military and lead WXIII into a showdown with the Labors of Special Vehicle Division 2. Patlabor was never a great franchise for me, but this is just a different show made by different director. It's detective mystery with two detective protagonists vs monsters, and mecha are only flashed in the end. I think that story came first and then it was put into the most fitting franchise, so some more characters and mecha from original got added. Movie is a good enough gig, but calling it an enjoyable masterpiece would be an overkill.   Overall Rating: 6/10   21. Palme no Ki A Tree of Palme パルムの樹 [Palm Studio] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance  Palme is a puppet created by a man to care for his sickly wife. After her death Palme becomes paralyzed with sorrow, that is, until a woman being pursed happens to cross paths with Palme and his creator and ask them to deliver something precious to a sacred place called Tama. Palme, mistaking her for his masters late wife, accepts the request. This becomes his first step to becoming more human in order to understand his own feelings. A new take on Pinocchio. It's confusing, slow, and over 2 hours long. Childish character designs don't fit the excessively complicated plot and disturbing themes. It provides some fresh imagery and moves, but I ask myself whether I'll remember it in a month , and answer is that probably not.   Overall Rating: 6/10   22. Turn A Gundam I Movie: Earth Light ∀ Gundam I: Earth Light 劇場版∀ガンダムI 地球光 [Sunrise] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi A movie retelling of the first half of the Turn A Gundam series. Did not expect that much SOL. Hope it all leads somewhere.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Turn A Gundam II Movie: Moonlight Butterfly 劇場版∀ガンダムII 月光蝶 [Sunrise] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi The movie retelling of the final half of the Turn A Gundam series. I'd lie if I said that I understood much of it. Gundam series have this unique trait to make me not care about characters or politics completely. Some lousy sci-fi with sky high ambitions.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Mari Iyagi 마리 이야기 [ADV Films] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Fantasy, Slice of Life  When office worker Nam-woo receives a package from childhood friend Jun-ho it transports him back to their last summer together. Back to their hometown in a small fishing village it the last few days before Jun-ho left for boarding school in Seoul. When a marble and an abandoned lighthouse had the power to transport him to a fantastic world where a mysterious flying girl named Mari lived. Guess it's important for Korean animation as it's the first serious story if we count out historical pieces, but on the objective side after gorgeous intro it's visually minimalistic 3D. Contents-wise it's imitation of Only Yesterday, just with more chaos, confusion and fantastic elements.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. Ecchan no Sensou えっちゃんのせんそう  [Mushi Production] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Historical Drama Based on a children's novel by Etsuko Kishikawa. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10
  22. kivandopulus
    Abenobashi Mahou☆Shoutengai is the only work I can call a masterpiece this season   1. Chobits ちょびっツ [Madhouse] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi When computers start to look like humans, can love remain the same? Hideki Motosuwa is a young country boy who is studying hard to get into college. Coming from a poor background, he can barely afford the expenses, let alone the newest fad: Persocoms, personal computers that look exactly like human beings. One evening while walking home, he finds an abandoned Persocom. After taking her home and managing to activate her, she seems to be defective, as she can only say one word, "Chii," which eventually becomes her name. Unlike other Persocoms, however, Chii cannot download information onto her hard drive, so Hideki decides to teach her about the world the old-fashioned way, while studying for his college entrance exams at the same time. Along with his friends, Hideki tries to unravel the mystery of Chii, who may be a "Chobit," an urban legend about special units that have real human emotions and thoughts, and love toward their owner. But can romance flourish between a Persocom and a human? Have to admit that I was quite impressed when I watched it for the first time, and it still delivers. It has become a golden standard of quality for romance comedies with artificial girls, and it provided example of cuteness done right. Still after a few episodes it becomes a habitual fetish comedy, so I'd prefer a shorter size, plus ending is quite disappointing. I refuse to treat it as a masterpiece , after all it has no real story and cuteness is not a reliable fuel for long trips .   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Azumanga Daiou The Animation Azumanga Daioh: The Animation あずまんが大王 THE ANIMATION [J.C.Staff] (Finished 4/26) Tags: CGDCT, Gag Humor, School Comedy, Slice of Life Chiyo Mihama begins her high school career as one of the strangest students in her freshman class—a tiny, 10-year-old academic prodigy with a fondness for plush dolls and homemade cooking. But her homeroom teacher, Yukari Tanizaki, is the kind of person who would hijack a student's bike to avoid being late, so "strange" is a relative word. There certainly isn't a shortage of peculiar girls in Yukari-sensei's homeroom class. Accompanying Chiyo are students like Tomo Takino, an energetic tomboy with more enthusiasm than brains; Koyomi Mizuhara, Tomo's best friend whose temper has a fuse shorter than Chiyo; and Sakaki, a tall, athletic beauty whose intimidating looks hide a gentle personality and a painful obsession with cats. In addition, transfer student Ayumu Kasuga, a girl with her head stuck in the clouds, fits right in with the rest of the girls—and she has a few interesting theories about Chiyo's pigtails! Together, this lovable group of girls experience the ups and downs of school life, their many adventures filled with constant laughter, surreal absurdity, and occasionally even touching commentary on the bittersweet, temporal nature of high school. Only watched couple episodes in the past and was not motivated enough to go on, so I owe it a better treatment now. It's realistic enough, maybe moderately absurd, so I'd compare it with Ping-Pong club. First of all, Ping-Pong club had a lasting plot, and this one is just discrete gags at a set stage. Secondly, I don't find many jokes in Azumanga funny, and eventually those get repetitive. Lastly, I like characters of Ping-Pong club a lot more than this bunch of clutz. Having lost in every way, can't rate Azumanga Daiou equally, and best not even start comparison with some titan like Lucky Star.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. .hack//Sign  [Bee Train] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Video Game Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi A young wavemaster, only known by the alias of Tsukasa, wakes up in an MMORPG called The World, with slight amnesia. He does not know what he has previously done before he woke up. In The World, the Crimson Knights suspects him of being a hacker, as he was seen accompanying a tweaked character in the form of a cat. Unable to log out from the game, he wanders around looking for answers, avoiding the knights and other players he meets along the way. As Tsukasa explores The World, he stumbles upon a magical item that takes the form of a "guardian," which promises him protection from all harm. Subaru, the leader of the Crimson Knights, along with several other players who became acquainted with Tsukasa, set out to investigate why Tsukasa is unable to log out, and attempt to get to the bottom of the problem before it gets out of hand. I really don't know why I finished it in the past, but I sort of hated it even back then as it's one of the most boring and bland MMORPG concepts that I've seen. It had maybe couple somewhat memorable moments and characters, but those 26 episodes were mostly a pain.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Digimon Frontier デジモンフロンティア [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/50) Tags: Isekai Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy With five new kids and an exciting new mission in the Digital World, Digimon Frontier brings back all the great action and adventure of the last three seasons. Takuya, Kouji, Izumi, Junpei. and Tomoki meet each other in a train that takes them to the Digital World where a war against evil is being fought. The Angel digimon, Cherubimon, one of The three angels sent to save the World from the power-hungry Lucemon, has turned to the dark side and the entire Digital World is in peril. To fight this great battle, the five CHOSEN ONES must find the Densetsu no Spirit (Legendary Spirit). Can't block series with openings, or I definitely would block this one. Even contemporary more grown-up versions of franchise like game Digimon Cyber Sleuth were still not serious and interesting enough for me. Frontier has a better stage in my opinion, but all those simplifications drive me mad.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Tokyo Mew Mew Mew Mew Power 東京ミュウミュウ [Pierrot] (Finished 2/52) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi Ichigo Momomiya expected her date with her crush, Masaya Aoyama, to have a more romantic ending than her falling asleep after she sees a vision of a cat entering her body. Things get even stranger when, the next day, she begins displaying cat-like behaviors such as an intense craving for fish. When Masaya is attacked by a monster, she discovers that she is able to transform into the cat-eared magical girl, Mew Ichigo. After she saves Masaya, two researchers named Ryou Shirogane and Keiichiro Akasaka approach her and reveal they had injected her with Iriomote Cat DNA in order to create a magical girl that can save the world from aliens. Ichigo is tasked with fighting these monsters, but saving the world proves to be just too much for Ichigo to handle by herself. Fortunately, she learns that there are four other girls just like her, and now, Ichigo must find them quickly before the aliens completely take over the planet. Such an evident Sailor Moon imitation, but with elements of parody, more bishounens and side work in a cafe... because Pia Carrot or something I guess. Of course tilt into half-beasts is the main fetish dish. Was too much irritation for me to even stay for the 3rd episode.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Juuni Kokuki The Twelve Kingdoms 十二国記 [Pierrot] (Finished 9/45) Tags: Isekai Action, Adventure, Fantasy  Youko Nakajima has only ever wanted to be normal. She does what she is asked, gets good grades, is the class president, and even helps her classmates whenever she can—but because of her red hair, she has never fit in. With her pushover attitude, Youko lets classmates take advantage of her, so she has nobody she can really call a friend. But on an otherwise ordinary day, a man who claims to be from another world barges into Youko's classroom and bows before her. This elegant blond-haired man, Keiki, claims that Youko is his master and belongs on the throne of his kingdom. However, their first meeting is cut short as Keiki has been followed by otherworldly beasts called youma. He is able to escape with Youko into his own realm, but two other classmates—Ikuya Asano and Yuka Sugimoto—are caught up in the madness as well. Unfortunately, their troubles have only just begun, as the youma attack leaves them separated from Keiki. Alone in this strange new land, these ordinary students must learn to fend for themselves or die. Two girls (and one guy who gets lost and forgotten soon) getting into isekai is a cool enough stage, so I liked first three episodes, but it takes its time to unveil, so only in 5th episode we finally see girls ways split. I dragged for some time, because soon after I got angry about some element it was uncovered, that happened with girls connection, with 12 kingdoms that's only explained in episode 6, with Keiki who eventually shows up again, with super weird spirit that sent all kind of madness illusions to Youko. But in the end there's no big story or interesting politics. Youko just wants to get back to Japan, and apparently way goes through most kingdoms, and she is getting constantly attacked by youkai beasts or something. And story goes in cycles as Youko joins new people and eventually gets separated from them. There's a lot of beating around the bush, stupid moves and weird emotional rollercoaster. It did not get better for me with more episodes, and 36 more episodes of such mess is a grim prospect.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Ai Yori Aoshi 藍より青し  [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Seinen Harem Comedy, Drama, Romance Kaoru Hanabishi, a college student who lives alone, met a beautiful but bewildered girl dressed in a kimono at a train station. He volunteered to guide her way to the address she was looking for, which happened to be in his neighborhood, but turned out to be an empty lot. Not knowing what to do next, Kaoru invited the devastated girl to his apartment and asked for any additional clues to her destination. She supplied him with a photo of two children whom Kaoru immediately identified as himself and Aoi Sakuraba, his childhood friend. It turned out that the girl in front of him is Aoi Sakuraba herself, his betrothed fiancee who came all the way to Tokyo to marry him. Her revelation was not only surprising but also reminded the deepest part of Kaoru's memory for why he left the Hanabishi family in the first place. It's straightforward deredere romance that would be pretty tiresome to watch over the course of 24 episodes, maybe with the right mood.   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. Full Moon wo Sagashite Searching for the Full Moon 満月をさがして [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shoujo Music Comedy, Drama, Romance, Supernatural Two years ago, Mitsuki Kouyama's friend, Eichi Sakurai, moved to America before she could confess her feelings to him. Though she cannot contact him, they made a promise to fulfill their respective dreams: Mitsuki wants to become a professional singer, and Eichi an astronomer. She hopes that one day her music will reach him across the world with a brilliance like that of the full moon. There is just one catch: Mitsuki suffers from throat cancer, which makes her voice quiet and singing strenuous. Her grandmother, who has a hatred of music, insists that Mitsuki undergo surgery to remove the cancer, but she refuses due to the risk of losing her voice. One day, two shinigami—Meroko Yui and Takuto Kira—appear to tell her that she only has one year left to live. This sudden revelation spurs Mitsuki into action, and she decides that with Meroko and Takuto's help, she will become a professional singer in the time she has left. Full Moon wo Sagashite follows the emotional story of Mitsuki and her shinigami friends as they discover what it means to sing—and ultimately, what it means to live. Seriously? The way to idol through tearjerkers? Life useless without ability to sing? I just wonder how much more stupid it can get. Believe me, it can as there is all kind of nonsense in the sleeve. Mitsuki turning into older version of herself and back with shinigami taking any appearance at will is only the tip of this iceberg.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Abenobashi Mahou☆Shoutengai Magical☆Shopping Arcade Abenobashi アベノ橋魔法☆商店街 [Gainax, Madhouse] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Isekai, Parody Award Winning, Comedy, Fantasy, Ecchi Satoshi "Sasshi" Imamiya believes his life is in shambles, as only a 12-year-old can. Having lost his card collection, his childish dilemmas worsen when he learns that his childhood friend, Arumi Asahina, will be moving away. Suddenly, their issues are dashed aside for the surreal, and they find themselves transported away through bizarre worlds of science fiction, magic, and war. Any attempt to escape only catapults them into another alien land. Soon, the two come to a realization: every world is just a reimagining of their hometown. But there are two unfamiliar faces—the voluptuous Mune-mune and the elusive blue-haired Eutus—and they just might be the key to escaping their predicament. Abenobashi Mahou☆Shoutengai follows Sasshi and Arumi's comedic exploits as they desperately attempt to return home. However, when the pair unravel a tale spanning generations, they begin to wonder if the cause of their situation is more personal than they thought. Is returning home truly what they desire? I consider Abenobashi to be an extended take on FLCL with even more freedom and parody - heck, boy protagonist is absolutely the same. Due to episodic nature it's hard to watch it all in a row, but there's enough goodness to rate it at least the same as FLCL.   Overall Rating: 7/10   10. Rockman.EXE MegaMan NT Warrior ロックマン エグゼ [Xebec] (Finished 1/56) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Video Game Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi In the year of 20XX, a young boy by the name of Netto Hikari receives a very special gift as he enters the 5th grade. His very own customized net navi, Rockman! Despite Rockman's small size and far more responsible personality, the two boys quickly become the best of friends. A net navi is designed to guide his operator from the inside of his or her PErsonal Terminal, or simply PET for short. Children and adults alike enjoy friendly "Net Battles", where they spar their navis against each other to prove their worth. Why this ridiculous plot of toy robot sparring repeats over and over again... it's doomed before start.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Ou Dorobou Jing Jing: King of Bandits 王ドロボウ JING [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi  Jing may appear to be a young boy, but his remarkable skills make him one of the most feared thieves on the planet. Along with his feathered partner Kir, Jing travels from town to town, stealing anything of value regardless of the amount of security. But when he's in a pinch, he has one more trick up his sleeve: Kir bonds with Jing's right arm to perform the effectively deadly "Kir Royale" attack. And because of all this, Jing is infamously known by many as the "King of Bandits." First episode is bandits competition, second episode is new adventure with getting a partner , third episode is a new adventure again... and withou partner, moreover with a new brief acquantance partner. There is no plot here, just episodic stories, so it can be described as fantasy version of Eat-man. Can't rate that highly.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Tenchi Muyou! GXP 天地無用! GXP [AIC] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Detective, Harem, Mecha, Space Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi From crashing his bike to falling in lakes, Seina Yamada just cannot shake the bad luck that follows him. But his fortune begins to change when he is forcibly recruited into the Galaxy Police and ends up capturing the most pirates in the force. Now, Seina is no longer just the unfortunate boy from Earth; he is a man that pirates have come to fear. Despite his reputation, Seina is still the same clumsy guy, but at least he has Amane Kaunaq, a former model, and Kiriko Masaki, his long time friend, to keep him together. With their help, Seina sets out on an adventure in the hopes of becoming a great Galaxy Police Officer. Tenchi and the whole harem except space police officer irritated, so this reinstallment has better and less generic protagonist Souma, that space police officer girl and many busty babes. It's a better stage, but show still lacks substance and normal humor as usual, and change of staff can't fix that.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Tokyo Underground 東京アンダーグラウンド  [Pierrot] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Shounen Super Power Action, Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi Under the capital city of Tokyo, Japan, there exists a large, vast, and unknown world known as Underground. There, people known as Elemental Users exist; people who have the ability to control the elements: Fire, Water, Lightning, Magnetism, Freeze, etc. Meet Rumina Asagi and his best friend Ginnosuke Isuzu, two average high school freshmen who reside in Tokyo. When they meet Gravity User, Chelsea Rorec, and the Miko of Life, Ruri Sarasa, their whole lives change into one big adventure. Pilot is great, but there are just new enemies each episode, so it gets stale. Better than average action, but nothing really outstanding, and I'm definitely not sitting through 20 more filler episodes to get the crumbs of the story.   Overall Rating: 6/10   14. Happy☆Lesson (TV)   [Studio Hibari] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Harem Comedy, Drama, Romance  Hitotose Chitose was always alone and untrusting of people but when 5 female teachers appear and started living together with him in his family's house as his mothers, things started to change and pick up, together with Hazuki-nee and Minazuki (his 2 sisters) everyday is a lesson. Remake of useless OVA about useless cute abusive teachers. Many "jokes" are recycled from OVA.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Tenshi na Konamaiki Cheeky Angel 天使な小生意気 [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/50) Tags: Shounen Magical Sex Shift Comedy, Romance Megumi-chan is a girl with a secret past. She used to be a boy until she met a person she thought was a magic user. This person gave him/her a magical book from which a genie appears to grant one wish when blood is applied to it. Megumi made the wish to be a man in a man's body but the genie has a twist: he grants wishes backwards so he turns Megumi-kun aged 9 to Megumi-chan. Years pass and Megumi enters High School where she immediately beats up the school bully who of course falls in love with her. She is looking for that book again to be able to reverse the spell placed upon her. Today in gender studies there is a man who is temporarily a girl and who gets harassed by other guys... It's better than it sounds, but seriously... 50 episodes? Concept is executed well, but it's a normal delinquents anime with tomboy instead of a hooligan protagonist, and there's a bit of strange romance on the side. I'm not enjoying this.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Rizelmine りぜるまいん [Madhouse, Imagin] (Finished 3/24) Tags: School Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Iwaki Tomonori is an average 15-year-old boy who likes older women. He happens to have a crush on his teacher, but soon thereafter, learns she has become engaged. He heads home brokenhearted, only to find a 12-year-old girl named Rizel at his home, who he learns the Japanese government has married him to against his will. Furthermore, he learns Rizel is no ordinary girl; she is a biochemically engineered human, and her creators (her "papa"s, as they are often referred to) promise to waive multiple bills of Iwaki's parents in exchange to be allowed to stay at their house, and thus Iwaki's life with Rizel begins. Exotic girl at home is a poor concept and Chobits nearly perfected that already. This anime is on the lower end of the food chain as it's baked from average elements.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Pita Ten Pita-Ten ぴたテン [Madhouse] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Shounen School Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Kotaro was pretty much supposed to be your average boy, worried about the pressures of education while enjoying a simple life with his friends. Much to his despair, he one day finds the overly cheerful Misha at his door, asking to be friends out of nowhere. Even more shocking is that Misha is an apprentice angel, yet she does more bad then good. Along with Kotaro's school friends Takashi and Koboshi and the so called devil Shia (once again being able to do more good then bad), the group of friends spend their days getting into all sorts of adventures and troubles. Based on the manga by Koge-Donbo. Exotic girl neighbor next door is only slightly better as a concept. It saves from cohabitation silly humor and fanservice, and this anime requires that handicap as it's aimed towards younger audience, some elementary school or so. Cuteness and conventional humor aren't enough to stand out.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Wagamama☆Fairy Mirumo de Pon! Mirmo Zibang! わがまま☆フェアリー ミルモでポン! [Studio Hibari] (Finished 4/172) Tags: Shoujo School Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance Kaede is a cheerful and energetic eighth grader. When it comes to boys, however, she is hopelessly shy. One day, on her way home from school, Kaede walks into a mysterious shop and buys a colorful cocoa mug. When she reaches home, she casually peeks into the bottom of the mug and discovers an engraved note, which says, "If you read this message aloud while pouring hot cocoa into the mug, a love fairy ("muglox") will appear and grant your every wish." The skeptical but curious Kaede follows the directions and announces her wish to date Yuuki, the class heartthrob. Suddenly, the adorable blue Mirumo appears! We soon find out, however, that this cute little muglox would rather eat chocolate and create mischief than help Kaede. Mirumo, it seems, is prince of the muglox world. Horrified at the prospect of having to marry Rirumu, his princess bride-to-be, Mirumo has escaped the muglox world. Hot on his heels, however, are Rirumu, Yashichi the bounty hunter, and a cast of hundreds of muglox ranging from the good to the bad to the nutty. This gang of adorable troublemakers will see to it that school life for Kaede and her friends is never the same... It's amusing enough and thus decent, but I did not find myself smiling even once, and apart of humor and cuteness there's no more strong sides.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Whistle! ホイッスル！ [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/39) Tags: Shounen School, Team Sports  Kazamatsuri Shou's dream has always been to become a professional soccer player, but he has one problem: he's not very good at the game. He was accepted to the prestigious Musashi no Mori Junior High, known for its top rate soccer team, but he was never able to rise beyond the rank of third stringer. After transferring to Sakura Jousui Junior High, he can finally play soccer. And, with the support of his new friends and teammates, his strong determination, and lots of hard work, his soccer skills are developing rapidly and setting Shou well on his way to achieving his dream. One sample episode is enough for most spokons. This piece wants to be Hajime no Ippo for soccer as protagonist starts as a lousy, but diligent player.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Gun Frontier ガンフロンティア [Vega Entertainment] (Finished 4/13) Tags: Seinen Historical Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi It is a harsh and barren wasteland, where the weak aren't allowed to dream. It is also a sacred land for true men, for there is no place a man can feel more alive. This is the Gun Frontier. Sea Pirate Captain Harlock and the errant samurai, Tochiro arrive in the United States on the Western Frontier. Along with a mysterious woman they meet along the way, the two friends challenge sex rings, bandits, and corrupt sheriff. They are searching for a lost clan of Japanese immigrants, and they will tear Gun Frontier from end to end until they find it. Recycled character designs as usual. Less confusion this time, but it's just random adventures in the wild west environment with not interesting enough characters and constant losing.   Overall Rating: 6/10   21. Atashin'chi あたしンち [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 3/330) Tags: Comedy, Slice of Life  Outrageous misadventures of an almost normal family with a housewife, her husband, and their two kids Yuzuhiko and Mikan. Wacky humor about this weird family's daily life. Partially translated. There seem to be three stories inside one episode. Visuals are even worse than Yamadas while humor is better.   Overall Rating: 6/10   22. Bakutou Sengen Daigunder Daigunder 爆闘宣言ダイガンダー [Nippon Animation, Brain's Base] (Finished 1/39) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi Akira Akebono, a young boy who is competing in a robot tournament where many of the robots are capable of transforming into animal forms. Akira wants to win the ultimate prize, the Titan Belt, with the help of his group of robots, all of which are capable of forming into the robot Daigunder. Daigunder is the creation of Akira's father, Professor Hajime Akebono. Together with a girl named Haruka, they compete under the name of Team Akira. However, Team Akira faces opposition from not only their competition, but a robot named Ginzan who is under the control of the evil Professor Maelstrom. A new fantastic toy robot battles concept anime that I skip!   Overall Rating: 4/10   23. Wild 7 Another Bouryaku Unga Wild 7 Another ワイルド7 another　謀略運河 [E&G Films] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Shounen Detective, Gore Action, Adventure, Mystery A big transatlantic ship, full of rich and important people for international business, has been taken by a group of terrorists. The only hope for their rescue is in the hands of a Japanese man known as Japa, but first, he must hire seven companions to help him, and together they will be the Wild Seven. The main plot occurs in the waters of Nicaragua's Canal. As a sequel to ancient movie, it also looks both morally and technologically old. It's a slow and boring gathering of bland team consisting of a big number of characters, then lots of talking with detective mystery elements and finally a bit of action with rescuing. Not impressive, sadly.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Forza! Hidemaru フォルツァ！ひでまる [Gallop] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Team Sports  A soccer anime with a cast of wacky animals in sports getup seems far out of its time in the early 21st century, but it was the year of the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, and the very young audience sees these tropes with fresh eyes. Hidemaru is a feisty fox; his friends include bunnies, dogs, horses, and a couple of hefty hippo girls. Based on a manga Hidemaru the Soccer Boy by Makoto Mizobuchi, serialized in CoroCoro Comics. Super childish soccer, don't know why it's not marked properly.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. .hack//Liminality  [Bee Train] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Video Game Mystery, Sci-Fi  While playing the newly released MMORPG "The World," Minase Mai and Tomonari Kasumi collapsed in the real world and were sent to the hospital after hearing a mysterious sound. Only Mai had recovered while her friend Kasumi had slipped into a mysterious coma. Mai is later approached by the creator of "The World," Tokuoka Junichiro, who unveils to her that, just like her friend, six other players across the country had also collapsed while playing "The World" and are now in mysterious comas. What exactly is "The World," what is this mysterious sound Mai keeps on hearing, and why are people slipping into comas from this game? Minase, Junichiro and their acquaintances set off to get to the bottom of this problem before any further harm happens. .hack OVAs are either hit or miss for me as I know at least one definite masterpiece among them. This one is just real world detective mystery around MMO, total miss.   Overall Rating: 5/10   26. Cosplay Complex こすぷれCOMPLEX [TNK] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Otaku Culture, Parody, School Comedy, Ecchi Meet Chako and her friends from the Cosplay Association at East Oizuki Academy! They're the hottest new cosplay team in Japan...fresh from a winning streak of local battles, they're set to sweep the Cosplay World Series! Yeah, right. In reality, Chako and her friends are barely able to keep their club alive at all. Feeble club membership and a lack of sponsorship might be the end of their cosplay dreams before they can even start. But don't you dare underestimate this group of spunky girls! They'll survive a barrage of pervy newcomers, cosplay rivalries, costume disasters and dating mishaps in order to reach their ultimate goal of competing in the World Series. The clothing flies as the girls suit up (and strip down) for Cosplay Complex! Lighthearted and not memorable.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Gate Keepers 21 ゲートキーパーズ21 [Gonzo] (Finished 1/6) Tags: Mecha Action, Drama, Sci-Fi  Thirty-two years have passed since the initial defeat of the Invaders. A.E.G.I.S is all but dismantled now and has become an underground organization consisting of only a few Gate Keepers left to save humanity. One of the members, Ayane Isuzu, is sick of society as a whole, though she continues to defeat the Invaders out of spite for her father. Suddenly, she learns of the revival of Machine General (Kikai Shogun) and Devil Count (Akuma Hakushaku), but a mysterious ghost girl now accompanies them. It is up to Ayane and the remnants of A.E.G.I.S to stop them and save humanity once again. Since I dropped original midway, and this is sequel, not much to say about it except that it feels more serious and overall better.   Overall Rating: 6/10   28. Galerians: Rion ガレリアンズ：リオン [Enterbrain] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Military, Psychological Adventure, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Six years have passed since Rion discovered his own identity as an artificial being, yet succeeded in destroying the genocidal Mother Computer, Dorothy, before perishing himself. Now reactivated by Lilia, Rion awakens to find that Dorothy managed to execute one final catastrophic program, rendering a new evil crew to finish her goal of human annihilation. It is a fully 3D CGI animated OVA based on the hit PlayStation game, called Galerians, released in August, 1999. CGI is still of poor quality, story is not good and characters pretty horrible .   Overall Rating: 4/10   29. Armitage III: Dual-Matrix アミテージ・ザ・サード DUAL-MATRIX [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi  A few years after they first met, Naomi Armitage and Ross Syllabus have started a family. Despite their normal lives, they must keep their identities a secret because many people believe that Robots do not deserve equal status with humans. Ross has an opportunity to abolish these ideas on Earth through a vote, but organizations in the shadows are working so that it doesn't happen. Miracle did not happen. Action is still nice, plot still moderately confusing, but simple in the main part. Satisfaction is there, but could not enjoy it. Still loses to everything from Ghost in the Shell.   Overall Rating: 6/10   30. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 10: Arashi wo Yobu Appare! Sengoku Daikassen クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ アッパレ! 戦国大合戦 [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Historical, Samurai Award Winning, Drama, Romance A full-scale historical drama set in the last days (the year 1574) of the Sengoku Era of feudal Japan. It is the story of the Nohara family, who has been transferred into the Sengoku Era by time warp, and a tragic love between a princess Ren Kasuga (a daughter of the feudal lord Kasuga at the Province of Musashi) and a samurai warrior Matabei Ijiri (a retainer of the Lord Kasuga). Sengoku is always a safe choice, and Himawari got almost zero screen time, but story turned into drama, and that did not suit Shin-chan. No matter how I look at it, it's only decent.   Overall Rating: 6/10   31. Guilstein ギルスティン [ACC Production] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Gore Action, Horror, Sci-Fi The theatrical anime film is a full digital (3-D) action/horror film based on a manga by Tamaki Hisao, best known to Western fans for his manga adaptation of Star Wars: A New Hope. Characters were designed by Yasushi Nirasawa, a well acclaimed maker of creature action figures. Monkey Punch (Lupin III creator) served as the film's script superviser. Set in the year 2088, it depicts a dark future in which humans have been transformed into the "Guilstein," creatures with no human souls in them... A chaotic action with super ugly CGI that are used in some battles, story itself is not bad.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  23. kivandopulus
    Can't call anything masterpiece again. Let's point out Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu , maybe.    1. Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu フルメタル・パニック? ふもっふ [Kyoto Animation] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Gag Humor, School Action, Comedy Sergeant Sousuke Sagara returns to Jindai High School to protect the precious war asset, Kaname Chidori, from any threat. However, his lack of social skills and real-life experience result in comical yet dangerous situations, endangering the peaceful school life Kaname longs for. As Sousuke continues to bring a wide range of weapons to school as a means to solve threats—real or fake—Kaname struggles to fulfill her duty as the student council vice president all while keeping him in check. To ensure a successful mission, Sousuke is occasionally forced to use the costume of a famous amusement park mascot called Bonta-kun. With his technical expertise, he eventually transforms the exuberant uniform into a cutting-edge exoskeleton that has only one dysfunction: the voice translator can only produce the sound "mofu." Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu depicts the adventures of Kaname and Sousuke as they try to live their normal school lives despite the chaos they inadvertently cause. A living proof that mecha anime feels much better with mecha itself taken out. Jokes aside, I liked it quite a lot when first watched it, but still never considered a masterpiece. With time this idea only strengthened. Kyoto Animation squeezed maximum from this stale concept, but conceptual flaws aren't easily overrriden.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Ikkitousen Ikki Tousen: Battle Vixens 一騎当千 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Martial Arts, School, Super Power Ecchi In the Kanto region, seven high schools fight to the death for absolute power. Each fighter is the reincarnation of a glorious warrior from the Three Kingdoms period, placing them in a perilous endeavor to overcome their often cruel destinies. Among them is the airheaded Hakufu Sonsaku, a student at Nanyou Academy who—despite possessing brilliant martial art abilities—is deemed to be killed at a young age by the ruthless Ukitsu. However, her fellow classmate Koukin Shuuyu is tasked by Hakufu's mother to protect his cousin from this grim fate. To add to his burden, Hakufu is subject to sudden bursts of anger, where she loses consciousness and unleashes a destructive power that threatens her own life. Together with Nanyou's "Big Four," Hakufu and Shuuyu will have to foil the plans of their main rival schools and uncover the true nature of Hakufu's powers before it is too late. Ecchi fighting that's not too bad as it has enough drama and bloody scenes to make up for all lighthearted fanservice humor.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Green Green グリーングリーン [Studio Matrix] (Finished 12/12) Tags: School Comedy, Romance, Ecchi Kanenone Gakuen is an all-male boarding school located in the countryside of Japan. Although an all-male school is nothing new, life can become quite difficult when there are no female students for miles around. In order to help the psychological health of everyone involved, the school board has decided to try and merge with the nearest all-girl boarding school in order to become co-ed. The boys of Kanenone are more than thrilled at the prospect, and the girls are curious as to how interesting school life might become if there were more boys around. Before any serious decisions are made, the girls have been invited to stay at Kanenone for one month as a test. Green Green follows Yuusuke Takazaki and his naughty room mates called the Baka (Idiot) Trio, and their ability to talk to the girls without making complete fools of themselves. But as soon as the school bus with the girls arrives, things become weird, hormonal, and hysterical. In particular, a girl named Midori Chitose leaps off the bus and immediately embraces a very confused Yuusuke. Is he a natural ladies' man, or do the two of them have a shared history that he is not aware of? First Green Green looked rather sincere, but it never rose above ecchi youth romcom. Still finished it in the past, so it had its amusing moments.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Onegai☆Twins Please Twins! おねがい☆ツインズ [Daume] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi Maiku Kamishiro's past has always been somewhat of a mystery to him. The only clue he has to who his family might be is an old photograph showing two young children, a boy and a girl, playing in a small pool outside of a blue house. In an attempt to find his family, he moves to this blue house and begins working as a programmer. He's living a comfortable life until the day two very different girls show up at his door, both in possession of the same photograph, and both claiming to be his twin. With no way to prove who is a relative and who is a stranger, Maiku allows both girls to move in with him until they know for sure. Never expected to see spin-off of Onegai Sensei. Everything was typical and expected, thus the score.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. D.C.: Da Capo D.C.~Da Capo~ D.C.～ダ・カーポ～ [feel., Zexcs] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Harem Drama, Romance Hatsunejima abounds in mysteries—one of which is the town's unwithering cherry trees that are said to grant the most genuine wishes. There are also rumors of people possessing supernatural powers, like Junichi Asakura, who can see other people's dreams and create sweets out of nothing. Alongside his sister Nemu, he enjoys living in peace with his friends at Kazami Academy but chooses to shroud his identity in secrecy. His tranquil school life comes to a halt when he finds out that his childhood friend Sakura Yoshino has returned from America after six years. She is there for one purpose: to fulfill the promises she made long ago with Junichi. Little does anyone know, however, that Sakura's appearance is bound to change everyone's lives—for better or worse. For me it's the barebones of school romance without anything to like at all.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Narutaru: Mukuro Naru Hoshi Tama Taru Ko Shadow Star Narutaru なるたる ～骸なる星・珠たる子～ [Planet] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Seinen Drama, Suspense During her summer holiday at her grandparents house Tamai Shiina, a young and cheerful schoolgirl, meets a strange looking creature. They befriend each other and Shiina names it "Hoshimaru: The Round Star." When Shiina returns home after the summer to go back to school, she starts meeting other kids that also have befriended a strange creature like Hoshimaru. But she soon finds out that not all these creatures and their masters are as friendly as Hoshimaru. After mildly intriguing episode 2 and 3 decided to watch how it ends, but the whole middle felt like a horrible waste of time. Basically, things spice up only in the very last episode, and it's still really bad. Terrible execution.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Popotan ぽぽたん [Shaft] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Time Travel Comedy, Drama, Supernatural, Ecchi Beautiful sisters Ai, Mai, Mii, their android maid Mea and slippery pet ferret Unagi make an amazing journey together through time and space without ever leaving their beloved mansion behind! Following the clues of the strange dandelion-like "Popotan," the girls are theoretically seeking the person who has the answers to their most personal questions, but they seem to have more than enough time to take side trips, meet new friends, visit hot springs and occasionally operate the X-mas shop they keep in the house along the way! Yet, the girls' ultimate destiny holds more than a few surprises of its own, and not every moment is filled with hilarity, as moving through time means having to leave friends behind as well. Cute enough, but eventless and boring. I hoped that there won't be Popotan nakedness, but alas.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Happy☆Lesson Advance  [Studio Hibari] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Harem Comedy, Romance Hitotose Chitose is now living together with his 5 teachers as his mothers when a mysterious girl appears and becomes their neighbor which turns out that that person is Nagatsuki Kuron who wants Mu-chan to be her mother so another sibling rivalry ensues as to who would end up as Mu-chan's child. Need to like either original series or OVA.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Divergence Eve ダイバージェンス・イヴ [Radix] (Finished 4/13) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi  In the 24th Century, Intergalactic Space Travel has become a reality. One of the first outposts in the far reaches of space is WATCHER'S NEST - an inflation hole drive portal - which has recently come under attack by a mysterious force known simply as GHOUL... A group of young female cadets assigned to the portal are unexpectedly thrown into a hornet's nest of trouble as they finalize their training to become an elite pilot in the Seraphim Squadron. A very strange experience, but a poor one. Lots of confusion, strange ecchi, serious though boring development and no foreseeable aim. It's definitely watchable, but episodes have no clear beginning or ending, so it's tasteless something that wastes time here and now while other purposes are unclear.   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Cinderella Boy シンデレラボーイ [Magic Bus] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Seinen Magical Sex Shift Action, Adventure, Comedy, Mystery Ranma and his partner Rera run a detective agency in Giraffe City. An arranged accident leaves Rera and Ranma in an unfortunate state where the two detectives swap bodies at the stroke of midnight. With Ranma dissapearing and the beautiful Rera appearing. Action detective with familiar Ranma spice.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Takahashi Rumiko Gekijou Rumiko Takahashi Anthology 高橋留美子劇場 [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life, Supernatural Shelter. Employment. Companionship. Rumiko Takahashi explores the stress that can befall people when these basic necessities become endangered. From penguins to wedding chapels and to amnesiac husbands, each episode explores supposedly normal people under extreme situations with all of the dramatic skill and warped comedy that you expect from the world-famous creator of InuYasha, Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura! Being anthology and comedy, it's not great.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Sumeba Miyako no Cosmos-sou Suttoko Taisen Dokkoida Dokkoida?! 住めば都のコスモス荘 すっとこ大戦ドッコイダー [ufotable] (Finished 5/12) Tags: Shounen Parody Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi The Galaxy Federation Police (GFP) desperately wants to cover-up its personnel shortage with new mechanized power-suits. Suzuo, 19-years old, desperately needs a job. Tampopo needs an earthling to fit the prototype of her company's suit and declares Suzuo the perfect candidate! Strong competitors and the wacky A-class criminals fight against our hero in diapers, but they must not recognize each other out of costume or the test results will be a failure- but it's OK if they all live in the same apartment building to save money, right? Nonsense comedy, so need to like specific humor and antics to go on. I did not.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Massugu ni Ikou. まっすぐにいこう。 [Yumeta Company] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Josei Pets Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life A talking dog is a beautiful story that you should have dreamt of as a child. But if you have forgotten about it, this is a reminder of that fable story. This is the story of a dog that talks, but ordinary people cannot hear his voice. The main character, Mametaro, is an adventurous crossbreed dog. He loves his owner, Iku-chan and his girlfriend Hanako-chan very much. However, he just cannot stand Iku-chan's friend, Akiyoshi. During this story, which will be told from Mametaro's point of view, the warm days of spring are finally here. The school and the riverbank, which is actually just an ordinary neighborhood for people, seems like a mysterious world that extends infinitely to little Mametaro and his friends. Need to either own a dog or like dogs, plus it's Josei. I'm not target audience, so it does not look cute or funny to me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Nezha Chuanqi The Legend of Nezha 哪吒传奇 [-] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Adventure  The Legend of Nezha narrative The story of Natra, the heavenly boy who was born bare, very mischievous, but the temperament, the mentality of goodness, always towards the righteous. With powerful martial arts and magic, he tried to save the evil to bring peaceful life for people in the time of raging love. Not translated. Some basic shounen based on China mythology.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Triangle Heart: Sweet Songs Forever とらいあんぐるハート -Sweet Songs Forever- [Seven Arcs] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Adventure, Romance  Fiasse is a world-renowned singer. She is now the headmistress of a special Singing School who does a Charity World Tour every year. Her mother left behind a inheritance for her after she died and some shady people are after Fiasse and the inheritance. Bring in Ellis, and two siblings who are master of the swords to protect Fiasse. The World Tour is coming up and Fiasse will continue the show. Ellis, Kyoya, Miyuki and company must protect their childhood friend at all costs. Bodyguard stories are nothing new for visual novels. I remember triangle heart trilogy being not possible to hook, so good to know how it looks in its prime.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. True Love Story True Love Story Summer Days, and yet...  [Picture Magic, A-Line] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Romance Picture Magic, A-Line When Morisaki Yuuta ran into a girl in the school hallway that day, he had no idea his life would change forever. As a member of the photography club and a fledgling to the world of women, Yuuta's life has been turned upside down by the entrance of not one, but several women into his life! From old friends to new acquaintances, it will be tough figuring out who to choose! It is based on the latest installment of the True Love Story series of dating sims. PS dating sims aren't exciting enough to adapt them in anime in first place...   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Submarine 707R サブマリン707R [Group TAC] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Military Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi In order to keep ocean peace, PKN was organized. It consisted of the state-of-the-art battle ships of various countries. However, they were raided during the foundation ceremony by the unidentified organization, USR, which plotted to conquer the world. They couldn’t be much for the submarine UX which was operated by Admiral Red of USR. But an old Japanese submarine, the 707 saved them, which was operated Captain Hayami at the risk of his life. One year later, succeeding to the 707, which had been ruined during the former fight, newly developed submarine, the 707 II, went for a sail. Among the crews, there were boys, such as Kenji, Goro, and Senta, who had been trainees. PKN formed a fleet led by the Great Guardian, which was the latest battle ship of the United States. However, the attacks of Submarine U were very server, and the fleet was defeated. Then, the 707 arrived. As soon as Red noticed the 707, he was glad to reunion with his rival and began to fight. Escaping from the submarine attack, they hid the 707 in the valley. But Red tried to destroy the valley in order to put the 707 into the torrents of mud. The 707 nearly escaped from it and got in the crater. However it was the pure water layer where the submarine couldn’t float up. At the moment, numerous torpedoes launched to the 707. Nice little OVA with just one big fight and mostly full of SOL.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Wonderful Days Sky Blue 원더풀 데이즈 [Tin House] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Love Polygon Action, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi Set in 2142, Wonderful Days depicts a world that has been nearly destroyed by environmental pollution. Human life as we know it is almost extinct, and only a few were able to pull through the collapse of Earth's ecosystem. In order to deal with the chaos, a city named Ecoban was created. The city uses the very pollution that caused the disaster as an energy source. However, although the initial plan was successful to an extent, it didn't just create a new source of energy, but also an elite group of people. This prestigious faction believes that they are above the system, and are not willing to accept survivors from outside the city unless they are put to work as laborers. Among the people living in the wasteland outside Ecoban is a young man named Shua. He leads a very difficult life, but tries to make the most of it through the love that he feels for his childhood friend Jay. Unfortunately, Jay may be more interested in her security commander Cade than in Shua, and thus a love triangle is formed. Not only does Shua have to deal with the heartbreak, but he must also find a new way to survive in the crumbles left from the once-beautiful planet Earth. The first decent Korean anime, beautiful and even 3D is used well. Story and execution are horrible, though. Super slow pace, lots of needless shots. We don't get familiar with the characters, and after some confusion it's already time to finish.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Nasu: Andalusia no Natsu Nasu: Summer in Andalusia 茄子 アンダルシアの夏 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Racing Sports Pepe is a Spanish cyclist competing in an multi-stage Iberian cycling race similar to the Tour de France. He is a support rider for one of the teams competing in the race, and his role is to assist the team's top rider in winning the overall race. As the story unfolds, the racers are set to ride through Pepe's home town in Andalusia on the same day as the wedding of his elder brother Angel to his former girlfriend Carmen. Their relationship was a factor in his decision to leave the town to pursue professional cycling, and the wedding is a frustrating reminder that his career hasn't turned out as he would have liked. Now, with the sponsor planning to drop him from the team and his family and friends cheering him on, Pepe abandons his assigned role and strives for glory. Not the worst short spokon that I watched, but all the deus ex machina factors involved make it not worth watching.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Momoko, Kaeru no Uta ga Kikoeru yo. もも子、かえるの歌がきこえるよ。 [Magic Bus] (Finished 1/1) Tags: School Drama, Slice of Life Momoko, who attends a special school, is both mentally and physically disabled. Every morning she becomes peevish because she can't go to the ordinary school with her twin brother Riki. Her family soothes Momoko by singing her favorite song "The Song of Frogs." One day, Momoko shouts encouragement to Riki who's playing dodgeball at an open classroom day and Riki's team wins the game. Ryuji, whose team lost the game, is not impressed and demands that Riki stop bringing his 'idiot sister' to school. Riki totally loses control and hits Ryuji with all his might. The following year, an experiment in integrated education is implemented and Momoko begins to attend Riki's school. Unfortunately, her physical condition takes a turn for the worse and she's sent to a hospital. Riki and all her classmates want to cheer her up and they set a goal of winning a relay race so that they would be able to tell Momoko the good news. Meanwhile, the fastest sprinter, Ryuichi, insists that he won't be taking part in the race. I seriously dislike scoring on disabled people. Have not seen such evident tearjerkers in a while if ever.   Overall Rating: 6/10   21. Elysium 엘리시움 [Toei Animation, OLM Digital] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi In In the year 2113 A.D., a team of scientists is dispatched to Antarctica to investigate the region's abnormal seismic activity. Near the epicenter of the activity, the expedition discovers vast land markings akin to the Nazca paleoglyphs drawn in the Peruvian desert. Stranger still is the presence of an enormous underground cavern below these symbols. At the bottom of the chasm, a portion of a tremendous tower juts from the ground. Armed with ultra-digital cameras, the scientific team transmits their findings to the Command Center. One explorer traces the image of a star chart engraved on the tower's exterior. The tower begins to emit a sinister howling as if possessed by demonic forces. One by one, the members of the expedition writhe in pain and die. Those observing the scene at the Command Center watch helplessly. As the high-frequency noise suffuses their headquarters, they too succumb and die in agony. When the waves of the frequency are analyzed, they are discovered to be a beacon directed at the planet Elysium, which lies beyond Earth's solar system. Van, the reluctant hero of the story, is an 18-year-old pizza delivery boy in Manhattan. He competes in the most popular sport of the 22nd century -- turbo jai alai racing. These races are fast paced and deadly affairs that integrate virtual reality into the competition. He's deeply in love with Lydia, a talented ballerina. In the chaotic futuristic metropolis, they only have each other and their dreams. Van and Lydia desperately want the chance to escape the polluted city-scape. Despite the dangers, Van enters a turbo jai alai race in the hopes of winning first prize -- two tickets to a galactic resort where Lydia can audition for the Jupiter Ballet. Meanwhile, earth's deep space observation vessel, the Odyssey, patrols the planet's orbital perimeter. The Odyssey is confronted by an armada of sophisticated alien spacecraft from Elysium. The awed human crew prepares to receive the Elysian ambassador, Yaspe. Without warning, the Odyssey loses control of its weapons, fires on the ambassador's vessel and destroys it. This tragic misunderstanding results in brutal retaliation by the Elysian fleet, culminating in the destruction of the Odyssey and a full-scale attack on Earth. Van's deadly sport of choice turns deadlier when the stadium he is competing in comes under fire from the Elysian barrage. Van struggles through the chaos on his turbo-cycle to rescue Lydia from the collapsing stands. The indiscriminate Elysian onslaught scorches cities worldwide. Van and Lydia flee through the burning streets of Manhattan seeking safety. After a series of harrowing escapes, they find refuge in a claustrophobic fall-out shelter. Cringy 3D is back. Animations are so laughable that it's impossible to take anything seriously here. Story is torn and nothing to be missed.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Ryoukan-san 良寛さん [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical  An animated motion picture about a real-life Buddhist monk and renowned poet, Ryoukan who lived in 18th century Japan, during the Edo Period. Though born to a wealthy family in Izumozaki, Ryoukan chooses to abandon the easy life he would have inherited in order to understand the true meaning of life through the teachings of Buddhism. From his early adulthood, he undergoes a series of harsh training that demands a solitary and meager lifestyle. Throughout it all, he remains an extremely modest and humble person, a true humanitarian who accepts every individual for who they are while rejecting all worldly fame and wealth. Ryoukan found true peace in life through nature and spending time with children. His pure mind and affable personality have captivated many, and his legacy and the wisdom of his teachings live on today. Just an eccentric monk life with real video shots of the places he inhabited. More an educational/cultural//touristic video that a piece of entertainment for those who never heard of this Ryoukan before.   Overall Rating: 6/10   23. on-chan, Yume Power Daibouken! On-chan, Dream Power Big Adventure! onちゃん夢パワー大冒険！ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Fantasy  on-chan and his friends from the universe's Parade Star, for some reason meets the brother and sister, Kenta and Haruka, who is moving from Tokyo to Sapporo along the way, in the middle of a meadow. The two of them travel to get back to their new home in Sapporo. For on-chan and the other's though, they encounter all sorts of trouble. At first, Kenta was opposing on-chan's dream power but before he knew it, he was also under its influence... Not translated. Just needed to confirm that it's a kid's work.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  24. kivandopulus

    Anime of the Year 2003-II Spring - Texhnolyze

    By kivandopulus,


    Anime of the Year
    Many titles, but still no masterpieces. Texhnolyze is the closest one, as for me   1. Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World キノの旅 -the Beautiful World-  [A.C.G.T.] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Iyashikei, Psychological Action, Adventure, Slice of Life Kino, a 15-year-old traveler, forms a bond with Hermes, a talking motorcycle. Together, they wander the lands and venture through various countries and places, despite having no clear idea of what to expect. After all, life is a journey filled with the unknown. Throughout their journeys, they encounter different kinds of customs, from the morally gray to tragic and fascinating. They also meet many people: some who live to work, some who live to make others happy, and some who live to chase their dreams. Thus, in every country they visit, there is always something to learn from the way people carry out their lives. It is not up to Kino or Hermes to decide whether these asserted values are wrong or right, as they merely assume the roles of observers within this small world. They do not attempt to change or influence the places they visit, despite how absurd these values would appear. That's because in one way or another, they believe things are fine as they are, and that "the world is not beautiful; therefore, it is." Towns are interesting and varied, but it's still just fantasy travel genre, could never understand the appeal of it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Texhnolyze  [Madhouse] (Finished 22/22) Tags: Psychological Action, Drama, Sci-Fi  In the dark underground city of Lux, people live in fear and despair under the rule of various criminal factions. Almost secluded from the surface, the gangs' only interaction with the outer world is their mining operation of "raffia," which is the raison d'être of the city. Available only in Lux, this rare substance is the basis of "texhnolyze" transplants that permit humans to replace parts of their body with cybernetic prostheses. The latter have the particularity not to trigger an immune response in their hosts and the "Class" has the privilege to conduct research on them. This elusive organization, also in charge of the raffia production, delegates its executive authority to a group called Organo led by Keigo Oonishi—a self-righteous man with texhnolyzed legs who is rumored to hear the "voice of the city." The fragile balance of powers in Lux is disturbed when a mysterious visitor named Kazuho Yoshii begins committing a series of crimes that puts the gangs at each other's throats. In the midst of the chaos, new actors emerge: Ichise, an ex-boxer mutilated by Organo and recently texhnolyzed by Eriko "Doc" Kamata; and Ran, a young florist who can see the future. While Lux steadily plunges into insanity, both Ichise and Ran find themselves involved in the greatest crisis the city has ever faced. Watching it for the third time overall now, because hardly anything is left in memory apart from cyborg angel action and gorgeous abandoned city landscapes. I definitely get visual and thematic enjoyment out of this, but not sure if can call it a masterpiece, because story itself is cluttered and not great while protagonist behaves in an irritating manner for half of the time. Basically, it's too dark and incoherent for me to be able to recommend it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. D.N.Angel [Xebec] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Shoujo School Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Daisuke Niwa is a clumsy, block-headed, and wimpy middle school student who has few redeeming qualities. On his 14th birthday, he finally decides to confess his love to his longtime crush Risa Harada, but is rejected. In an unexpected turn of events, however, Daisuke finds himself transforming into Dark Mousy, the infamous phantom thief, whenever his mind is set on Risa. Though Daisuke is unaware of this strange heritage, his mother is certainly not: since before the boy was born, his mother had been planning for him to steal valuable works of art and let the name of the elusive art thief be known. With doubt and confusion constantly clouding his mind, Daisuke finds himself struggling in his relationships with classmates and family. And it is not long before Daisuke  Compilation of cheesy utter nonsense elements makes it unbearable for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Last Exile LAST EXILE（ラストエグザイル） [Gonzo] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi  In the world of Prester, flight is the dominant mode of transportation, made possible by Claudia Fluid: a liquidized form of the crystals that are produced on the planet. An organization known solely as "the Guild" has absolute authority over the skies, with a monopoly on the engines that make use of this fluid. Moreover, as ecological disasters destabilize the warring countries of Anatoray and Disith, the Guild also arbitrates in the disputes between the two. Caught in the middle of the conflict are Sky Couriers, piloting small, two-person vanships that fly freely through the sky. Last Exile follows the adventures of two teenagers who dream of surpassing their parents: Claus Valca, son of a famous vanship pilot, and Lavie Head, Claus' best friend and navigator. Their job as couriers entails passing through an air current called the Grand Stream that separates the hostile nations, which even standard airships struggle to survive. However, when they take on a high-rated delivery to bring an orphan girl named Alvis Hamilton to the battleship Silvana, they get dragged into a much greater conflict that pits them against the might of the Guild. Children in steampunk world travel, compete with other aircrafts, get involved into some "adventures". Can't say I like anything at all here. Maybe there's some cool plot to unveil with time, but beginning episodes are absolutely daunting.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Zatch Bell! 金色のガッシュベル!! [Toei Animation] (Finished 2/150) Tags: Shounen Mythology Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural Takamine Kiyomaro, a depressed don't-care-about-the-world guy, was suddenly given a little demon named Gash Bell to take care of. Little does he know that Gash is embroiled into an intense fight to see who is the ruler of the demon world. All of the demons have to pick a master on Earth and duke it out with other demons until one survives. Needless to say, Kiyomaro becomes Gash's master, and through their many battles, Kiyomaro learns the importance of friendship and courage. Do you know who else wanted to become a king in his field? Despite a totally different setting all the major flaws of One piece are copied here with addition of unfunny comedy. Anyway, it has not gone far from a typical shounen.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Scrapped Princess スクラップド・プリンセス [Bones] (Finished 6/24) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Born to the royal family, Pacifica Casull has earned the nickname "Scrapped Princess" after an apocalyptic prophecy foretells her destroying the world on her 16th birthday. Rescued from certain death by a kindly family, she takes shelter with her adoptive older brother and sister, Shannon and Raquel Casull. When news of her survival reaches the ears of the God Mauser's worshippers, they issue her death at all costs, forcing Pacifica to flee for her life. Plagued by threats from the church, the nobility and even the common people, the three siblings attempt to outrun the fate Pacifica is destined to bring, all the while questioning if one girl's life is worth the world's demise. The true nature of the Scrapped Princess, along with the harrowing revelations of the world itself, becomes more and more apparent as the princess' 16th birthday fast approaches. As you see from the concept it's again journey in the company without real aim apart of wasting time till 16 years old and getting constantly attacked on the way... which is sad, because characters are ok'ish and visuals are on high enough level. Still might work with outstanding characters, but, alas. Definitely watchable, but I can't answer why I should keep going   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Kaleido Star カレイドスター [Gonzo] (Finished 2/51) Tags: Performing Arts Comedy, Drama, Fantasy The Kaleido Stage is known throughout the world for captivating audiences with its amazing acrobatics, innovative routines, and extravagant costumes and sets. It is a place for guests to believe in magic, and Sora Naegino wants nothing more than to be a part of that magic—by becoming an acrobat for the famed circus herself. To realize her dream, she travels from Japan to California to audition for a place in the group. However, Sora learns that she needs much more than her natural talent to bring joy to the faces in the crowd. She quickly discovers just how difficult it is to be a professional performer where the stakes—and the stunts—are higher and mistakes spell danger! To put on performances worthy of the Kaleido Stage, she will need to endure rigorous training, unconventional assignments, fierce competition, and the antics of a mischievous spirit named Fool. Can Sora reach new heights, make new friends, conquer her fears, and surpass her limits to become a Kaleido Star? We've seen shoujo about a lot of activities like idol, actress, singer, dancer. So let's make another one about acrobatics and fill the airing time for the whole year... As usual, lively and good enough, but not psychologically tilt, so not for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch マーメイドメロディー ぴちぴちピッチ [Actas, SynergySP] (Finished 2/52) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, Music Adventure, Comedy, Romance As the mermaid princess of the North Pacific (one of the seven mermaid kingdoms), Lucia entrusts a magical pearl to a boy who falls overboard a ship one night. Lucia must travel to the human world to reclaim her pearl and protect the mermaid kingdoms. Using the power of music Lucia is able to protect herself and the mermaid kingdoms from a growing evil force. One of the early shoujo Mako the Mermaid had a very similar concept, and there have been several idol magical girls, so it does not feel fresh, more like compilation of multiple elements, plus romance, plus humor. As usual, far from enjoyable for me .   Overall Rating: 6/10   9. Juubee Ninpuuchou: Ryuuhougyoku-hen Ninja Scroll: The Series 獣兵衛忍風帖「龍宝玉篇」 [Madhouse] (Finished 5/13) Tags: Martial Arts, Samurai Adventure, Horror, Supernatural Fourteen years after defeating the immortal warrior Himuro Genma and thwarting the Shogun of the Dark's evil plans, Kibagami Jubei continues to roam all over Japan as a masterless swordsman. During his journey, he meets Shigure, a priestess who has never seen the world outside her village. But when a group of demons destroys the village and kills everyone, Jubei becomes a prime target after acquiring the Dragon Jewel—a stone with an unknown origin. Meanwhile, Shigure—along with the monk Dakuan and a young thief named Tsubute—travels to the village of Yagyu. And with two demon clans now hunting down Shigure, Dakuan must once again acquire the services of Jubei to protect the Priestess of Light. It may be not bad, but on contrast with the movie all this loose comedy about thievery with some fighting looses completely, so just using this title without any connection to original brings lots of critique.   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Matantei Loki Ragnarok Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok 魔探偵ロキ RAGNAROK [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Mystery, Supernatural Loki, the Norse god of mischief, has been exiled to the human world for what was apparently a bad joke. Along with being exiled, he's forced to take the form of a child. He's told the only way he can get back to the world of the gods is if he can collect auras of evil that take over human hearts, and so to do this he runs a detective agency. Loki is soon joined by a human girl named Mayura who is a maniac for mysteries, and she soon helps out in her own way. However, soon other Norse gods begin to appear, and most have the intent to assassinate Loki for reasons unclear. Detective mystery with fighting and norse mythology. Not my genre.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Air Master エアマスター [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/27) Tags: Seinen Martial Arts Action, Comedy A former gymnast, Aikawa Maki has turned her skills to a different way of life—street fighting. The only thing that truly makes her feel alive is violence. With amazing power and grace, she fights opponent after opponent, repeatedly demonstrating the gymnastic talent that earns her her nom de guerre, "Airmaster." Something like Grappler Baki, female version, with more acrobatics and unofficial fights. There's no way I can enjoy this.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Tantei Gakuen Q Detective School Q 探偵学園Q [Pierrot] (Finished 1/45) Tags: Shounen Detective Comedy, Drama, Mystery Kyuu is your average boy with a knack for logic and reasoning. Desiring to become a detective, he finds out about the existence of the Dan Detective School (DDS); a famed school where students are allowed to bear arms. Together with Megu, a girl with photographic memory, the martial arts master Kinta, the genius programmer Kazuma and the mysterious Ryuu, Kyuu tackles many well planned out crimes, always seeking the truth. Too many detectives together, it's multiple times more boring for me than usual.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Ultra Maniac ウルトラマニアック [Ashi Productions] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, School Comedy, Romance Fantasies and miracles never interested Ayu Tateishi, a popular second-year student at her middle school. She was content with preserving her image of being cool, calm, and collected—all to catch the eye of her crush, Tetsushi Kaji. Ayu's carefree youthful days are interrupted by the appearance of Nina Sakura, a new transfer student who turns out to be a witch. As the only person who knows about Nina's ability to cast spells using a mini-computer, Ayu is forced to help Nina with her mission to find the five Holy Stones, qualifying her to marry the prince of the Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, Nina's ineptitude with magic and her habit of meddling in Ayu's personal life cause nothing but trouble for the two of them as Ayu toils to maintain her good reputation and Nina struggles to hide her secret from the discerning eye of Hiroki Tsujiai, Tetsushi's best friend and an avid fan of manga. And when Nina's search for the five Holy Stones brings allies and challengers from the Magic Kingdom, Ayu is dragged into a world she never even dreamed was possible. Reminds Marmalade boy a lot, but for some reason also incorporates magic that is used not only by heroine, but by quite some people. SOL is ok, romance average, humor below average.   Overall Rating: 6/10   14. Uchuu no Stellvia Stellvia 宇宙のステルヴィア [Xebec] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha, Space Action, Romance, Sci-Fi In the year 2167, a wave of radiation released by the supernova of the nearby star Hydrus Beta caused cataclysmic damage on Earth, leaving millions dead. Now, it is the year 2356. United to rebuild Earth, humanity prepares for the supernova's second wave of destruction. In order to protect the planet from future harm, massive space colonies called "Foundations" have been built throughout the Solar System. Acting as centers for both knowledge and exploration, it is at one of these Foundations—the Stellvia—that Shima Katase applies to be a preparatory student against her mother's wishes, aspiring to see space directly with her own eyes. At the Stellvia, Katase trains to become a pilot and hopes to be selected for the "Great Mission" to shield Earth from the second wave. While she struggles with both her pilot classes and her tumultuous social life, she slowly grows into someone who might just be able to protect humanity. There have been at least three mecha lately with just training and either no actual battles or something only in the end. This is continuation of this trend, but with younger characters than usual and without needless drama over trifles. Good SOL inside training school, but there's little besides SOL, so need to like this flow from the start without hopes for something bigger.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Astro Boy: Tetsuwan Atom Astro Boy (2003) アストロボーイ・鉄腕アトム [Tezuka Productions] (Finished 1/50) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Super Power Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi At the Ministry of Science, fervent Professor Ochanomizu alongside his coworkers strive to reactivate Atom—the first robot with a human heart. Atom is the masterpiece of enigmatic Professor Umatarou Tenma, who built the android to replace his deceased son Tobio. However, while Tenma inexplicably shut down his brainchild and disappeared, Ochanomizu refuses to let such a major breakthrough in science go to waste. Despite having the appearance of a nine-year-old, Atom not only possesses incredible strength and intelligence, but he is also endowed with a remarkable conscience and compassion that rivals humans. Sadly, the mechanical boy soon faces rejection and learns that not everyone is as welcoming as Ochanomizu. Although automatons have integrated into society, they are accepted only as tools and even seen as an upcoming threat to mankind's dominion. Dreaming of a world where people and robots can prosper together, Atom dedicates his existence to protecting the lives of both and inspiring them to form genuine bonds. I'm glad that Astro Boy can be experienced in modern colored version, and several stories are indeed worthy. But it also brings that extremely retro feeling which can only be experienced with proper attitude.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Dear Boys Hoop Days ディア・ボーイズ [A.C.G.T.] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Shounen Drama, Sports Aikawa Kazuhiko was the captain of Tendoji high school prestigious basketball team. He moves into a new town to attend Mizuho high school and joins its basketball team. However, Mizuho high's basketball team is far from being prestigious, in fact, it's now defunct. Nevertheless to say, Kazuhiko's persistence, passion and basketball skills inspired other team members of the dysfunctional basketball team to gear up and start practicing again. The goal is to play in the national tournaments where all young basketball players meet their opponents to compete with them. The tale of youth of the five protagonists: Fujiwara Takumi, Ishii Tsutomu, Dobashi Kenji, Miura Ranmaru and Aikawa Kazuhiko have just began along with the live of Mizuho high school basketball team. Best basketball spokons so far like Dash! Kappei and Slam Dunk had big tilt into humor while this one has less humor and more drama. But the main disadvantage that it's unrealistic in the way of having a super player and showing off. But I don't care about spokons in first place.   Overall Rating: 6/10   17. Narue no Sekai The World of Narue 成恵の世界 [Studio Live] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi  Meet Narue, an adorable schoolgirl with a secret. She's really an alien with powers right out of a sci-fi comic! But growing up is never easy, and sometimes it doesn't help when you're from outer space. Join our spunky heroine as she faces androids, alien invaders, and her first date with the boy next door. It's the sci-fi comedy that's a direct hit to your heart! A mix of a many elements spiced generously with absurdism. The school romcom SOL is typical, and  aliens stuff only adds chaos.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. E's Otherwise エスアザーワイズ [Pierrot] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Military Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Kai, who has powers different from the rest, together with his sickly sister Hikaru was protected by an organization called ASHURUM. Scouted by Eiji, Kai was delegated to the ASHURUM special force AESES and undergo intensive training. Whenever he was free, Kai visited Hikaru at the hospital belongs to the organization, but Hikaru's condition never improved. So, one year later, with amazing growth from the intensive training, Kai decides to escape from the organization. Of course e's had to mean espers. Protagonist realizes evil ways of his employer and confronts former friends. Story itself is nothing new, but has enough potential and action opportunities, though heavily depends on execution. And there's not enough effort put into quality here to shine.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Gad Guard ガドガード [Gonzo] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Several hundred years in the future, the resources of the Earth runs out, and the progression of the human race has stagnated. The world is now divided into "Units." A boy named Hajiki Sanada lives with his mother and sister in Unit 74, in a place called "Night Town," in which all electricity is shut down at midnight. The key in this story is an object called the GAD. GADs have the ability to reconstruct materials while reacting to feelings of an organic life. The size and shape of the resulting product seem to be different depending on the kinds of feelings that the life possesses. When Hajiki comes in contact with one by accident, it transforms into a huge robot—a Tekkoudo, or "Iron Giant"—which Hajiki names Lightning. And soon he realizes that he isn't the only one with a Tekkoudo, and must find out how to deal with those others who he feels are the "same" as himself. As studio's original story, it's easy to predict the loose middle and real plot elements pushed to the end. The core is just random adventures of children who laid hands on a high tech weapon in a crime town, and even if I'm generous it's only decent.   Overall Rating: 6/10   20. Ningen Kousaten Human Crossing 人間交差点 [A.C.G.T.] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Drama, Slice of Life, Sports  Though seemingly unconnected, the characters in HUMAN CROSSING all have something in common. They are dealing with the sometimes joyous, but often horrific realities of everyday life. Set in modern day Japan, this compilation of short stories explores the lives of people from all walks of life. The animation used here is subtle, with realistic renderings that fully express the range of emotions experienced by the film`s characters. HUMAN CROSSING taps into the dramatic potential of reality, focusing on the isolated, sometimes lonely nature of urban life. Ultimately, however, the film suggests that perhaps there is an inter-connectedness between people that binds even the most disparate strangers together. Anthology about simple stories with complex details of grown-ups which get interconnected by the end. I don't like anthologies and such format and don't find it entertaining or useful.   Overall Rating: 6/10   22. Mousou Kagaku Series: Wandaba Style 妄想科学シリーズ ワンダバスタイル  [TNK] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi Genius scientist Tsukumo Susumu knows each and every single theory behind aerodynamics that exists on earth despite being only 13 years old. He wants to travel to the moon without the use of fossil fuels that power rockets. So begins his heavy research using his knowledge in the laws of physics, scientific theory and his wild imagination. His test subjects are the unpopular idol group Mix JUICE (Himawari, Yuri, Ayame, Sakura). They come up with all sorts of crazy ideas to become the first humans to successfully hold a concert on the face of the moon. Will the four girls from Mix JUICE be able to struggle their way to the moon successfully? Comedy is too crazy and childish for me. Failed to catch its vibe to enjoy.   Overall Rating: 6/10   23. Submarine Super 99 サブマリン スーパー９９ [Vega Entertainment] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Shounen Military Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Dr. Oki , the genius scientist who designed a new type of submarine is missing. His son, Susumu, smells an evil scheme of unknown group. He knows everything of his father's submarine called "Super 99" – equipment, weapons, functions and capacity. Susumu thinks that to find his father is to reveal the secret organization, Helmet Party, and stop their conspiracy. With the help of his friends and Marine Corps, he sets out to an underwater quest, not knowing how dangerous his endeavour is… All this Leijiverse with side stories and recycled characters is getting tiresome and irritating. This time it's getting closer to shounens, and submarine instead of spaceship tones the scale down.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Firestorm FIRESTORM　ファイアーストーム  [Trans Arts] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Mecha, Military Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi It is the year 2104 AD. The terrible war is over and peace seemed close in the world. However, there is one thing that can bring down this peace. That is the criminal organization who's power and actions are widespread across the world... The Black Orchid. From the main countries of the world, the "Storm Force" was formed to take down the Black Orchid. They are also known under the code name "Fire Storm". Baddies fulfil evil plans only to be defeated each time by goodies. For me every second mecha is this way, so can't even criticize it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. Jikuu Boukenki Zentrix Zentrix 時空冒険記　ゼントリックス [Imagi] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi The series is set in Zentrix City, a seemingly "perfect" city. Emperor Jarad is a scientist who with the help of scientists Dr. Roark and Dr. Coy, created a super-computer called OmnicronPsy, which manages all of the city's higher and day-to-day functions, controlling a wide variety of machines and robots, allowing humankind to live a seemingly "perfect" life. However OmnicronPsy, using His super-intelligence, decides that it would make a better ruler than Jarad, and starts to break down the coding that stops him from revolting and harming the Royal Family. Discovering this, Jarad and Dr. Roark head back in time 7 years to stop the revolt from ever happening. To accomplish this they plan to shut down the six Zentrium chips that power OmnicronPsy. Upon discovering this, Jarad's daughter and only heir, Princess Megan, proceeds to follow him to the past while OmnicronPsy concurrently undoes his restriction codes and sends his Robo Guards to hunt her down. Horrible full 3D and there's only official dub version, because no one cares to sub it. Safe childish bland mecha adventure with time travel.   Overall Rating: 5/10   26. Bouken Yuuki Pluster World Adventure Hero Pluster World 冒険遊記プラスターワールド [Actas, Brain's Base] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi  According to the legend, the once peaceful "Pluster World" plunged into chaos and darkness due to the manifestation of the evil MINASUTA. At that time, selected Plusters were combined with humans, and successfully sealed away the evil MINASUTA. It was then believed that the peace which had returned would continue forever. Greenery and trees filled the land, flowers bloomed everywhere, living creatures soar in the blue sky, run on the land, and swim in the seas. However, this peacefulness was once again lost due to reappearance of the MINASUTA... Now, the fusion of Plusters and Humans once again opens the door for a hot adventure! Not translated to English, but aired in arabic, for example, as it's a safe show for kids that's not marked properly by MAL.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Mugen Senki Portriss 無限戦記ポトリス [Sunrise, Dongwoo A&E] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi In a raving world, legendary knights stood up. Will they become gods of war or world saviors? Three Portriss Knights and sole human boy are now going to change the World! Portriss Planet, home of where robots live in peace. However, this peacefulness was ruined by the sudden appearance of a Dictator "Dark Portriss". Dark Portriss plans to attain infinite powers through the use of the "Space-time destroying Cannon". The only ones able to stop this are the Portriss Knights! A boy, Yuuma, accidentally got into the Portriss World, and the Portrisses` adventure begins! Only partially translated, it seems. Korean anime is still way too childish compared to older brother, again not properly marked.   Overall Rating: 5/10   28. Wonder Bebil-kun ワンダーベビルくん [Radix] (Finished 3/30) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy  Bevil-kun, who lives in Wonderland, decided to go out into the human world and live with Ryota in order to set a good example for human beings by his father who wanted to keep his position as a monster. Not translated. MAL incorrectly shows episode length as full while it's just 7 minutes. It's just another Doraemon imitation for kids.   Overall Rating: 5/10   29. The Animatrix アニマトリックス [Madhouse, Studio 4°C, Square Pictures] (Finished 9/9) Tags: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi  1. Final Flight of the Osiris The crew of the Osiris discover an army preparing to invade Zion. While one crew member races inside the Matrix to get the message to Zion, the others try desperately to buy her enough time while fighting off an onslaught of Sentinels they can't possibly defeat. 2-3. The Second Renaissance Part 1 and 2 Humans have created the ultimate AI, which is just as smart as they are. But complications arise when these robots and the humans try to exist peacefully, and eventually all-out war breaks out. The humans ultimately lose the war, and become trapped in the Matrix as seen in the live-action films. 4. Kid's Story A young man discovers that his world isn't real, that it's a computer-generated fantasy land created by robots using humans for energy. He escapes with the help of the hacker Neo. Based on the Matrix trilogy. 5. Program Cis and Duo engage in battle in a virtual recreation of Feudal Japan. 6. World Record While running the fastest race in his life, a champion track star breaks free of his computer-generated world for a small period of time. When he goes back to the real world, he has no memories and is placed in a nursing home. Based on the Matrix trilogy. 7. Beyond While looking for her lost pet, a young woman meets up with some kids in Tokyo to play in a "haunted house," which is really a glitch in their computer world. Based on the Matrix trilogy. 8. Detective Story A detective named Ash is called upon by a mysterious organization to hunt down the notorious hacker Trinity. 9. Matriculated A group of scientists capture a robot and place it in a surreal fantasy world. When the robot's friends come in and kill most of the scientists; however, the robot and the last scientist remaining face isolation in the computer-generated world. Based on the Matrix trilogy. It's anthology made partly in 3D lasting for 9 episodes 9 minutes each, so it's already impossible to compete for a masterpiece score. It's basically a fandisc as some stories provide new details for the movies, others are just fantasies with familiar characters or even just around some familiar phenomenon. I'm not a big fan of the original, and these stories did not look significant for the story to me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   30. Eiken: Eikenbu yori Ai wo Komete Eiken エイケン エイケンヴより愛をこめて [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/2) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Ecchi Zashono Academy is a massive educational institution with over thirty-five thousand students enrolled across all grades. It is here that the plain and unpopular Densuke Mifune enrolls in high school. While he looks forward to blending into the crowd, circumstances change when he runs into Chiharu Shinonome, an incredibly attractive and intelligent girl who has captured the attention of all the students at the school. Witnessing the encounter between the two, Kirika Misono pressures them into joining her mysterious "Eiken Club" to compete in the school's annual club tournament. The tournament causes Densuke to become more intimate with his fellow club members, but will he be able to maintain his composure or will he give in to their bold advances? Fast-paced short fanservice comedy fantasy about breast size. It's clearly of fetish nature and should only be tried with corresponding affinity.   Overall Rating: 4/10   31. Parasite Dolls パラサイトドールズ [AIC] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Detective, Gore, Mecha Action, Sci-Fi A secret unit of the AD Police, known as Branch, specializes in crimes involving humanoid robots called 'Boomers'. Branch officer Buzz must cope with having a Boomer for a partner, while officer Michaelson finds the line between human and robot to be a thin one. Together they serve to protect a world that is slowly deconstructing around them. Set in the Bubblegum Crisis universe. Original A.D. Police was not great, and despite different pair of protagonists Parasite Dolls feels only slightly better as it's pure case investigation without police routine. It clearly tries to imitate Ghost in the Shell while remaining in Bubblegum Crisis world, and result is really decent, but due to lack of attention to protagonists, fast pace and lack of details it does not become engaging.   Overall Rating: 6/10   32. Hitsuji no Uta 羊のうた  [Madhouse] (Finished 2/4) Tags: Vampire Drama, Horror Kazuna's family has a history of suffering from a disease that creates an uncontrollable vampire-like thirst for blood. Knowing none of this, Kazuna was sent to live with the Eda couple as a child. As the sickness begins to show signs of being present within himself, he comes into contact with his older sister, Chizuna, who has been suffering from it since early childhood. Knowing that the sickness incurs a heavy weight upon those that suffer from it, Chizuna tries to ease her brother's burden, to help him learn to control his urges, but... Concept already looks like a bore to me, but it incorporates slow pace, distraction to details, flashbacks and scenes that add very little apart of some supposed emotions. If you like vampires, suspense or mystery it will probably be a treat, but it's three misses for me, and poor visuals alongside depressed atmosphere make it unbearable.   Overall Rating: 5/10   33. Guardian Hearts がぁーでぃあんHearts [Venet] (Finished 1/6) Tags: School Comedy, Romance, Ecchi Maya, Kurusu, and Chelsea hit it off really well when trying to get revenge on Guardian Hearts for making them suffer. Maya and company thought that Guardian Hearts usually appears when Kazuya is getting along with a girl. Not knowing that Guardian Hearts is actually Hina, they leave her alone with Kazuya in an attempt to lure Guardian Hearts. Only good if you're in mood to watch light ecchi nonsense.   Overall Rating: 5/10   34. Lingerie Senshi Papillon Rose Papillon Rose OVA ランジェリー戦士パピヨンローゼ [Studio Kelmadick] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, Parody Sci-Fi, Ecchi Tsubomi is a savvy and horny school girl who works at a lingerie club, a gentlemen's bar where scantily clad young women serve drinks to the patrons. She is useless at her job but is blackmailing her boss so she won't get fired. One day she runs into a gorgeous young man who she takes to bed. She meets into a perverted talking cat with a butterfly on its forehead, who recruits her to be a magical soldier. She has to fight off a dominatrix elf woman called Beene, a minion of Regina Apis, a matriarch bent on chaos and forming her new Dynasty. Tsubomi is learning of her powers when she is rescued by an oddly familiar masked man, known only as Dandelion. The plot of this anime is completely farcical and parodies the magical girl genre and Sailor Moon in particular. Short ecchi parody on Sailor Moon.   Overall Rating: 4/10   35. Mizuiro (2003) みずいろ (2003) [OLM] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Drama, Romance, Supernatural  Brother and younger sister-in-law live in the house which parents are often away from. Yuki who is the younger sister is secretly yearning for Kenji who is the elder brother. However, one girl came to show up from the closet in Kenji's room after a certain night. Moreover, her body is transparent, and she looks like the ghost. Her name is Hiyori. She is a friend in their childhood. They are pleased with reunion though Kenji and Yuki are perplexed with the way of Hiyori's strange appearance. However, Yuki gets the mind shaken as Kenji and Hiyori become intimate, and the pain in her mind in the childhood is recalled. At the childhood, Yuki was going to pass the light blue toy ring which Kenji had had to Hiyori in exchange for Hiyori's yoyo. However, because Hiyori became sick, and had moved, the promise was not an accomplishment. Their events in the childhood seem to be related to Hiyori's showing up in front of them. A painful love story of Kenji and two girls progresses. A normal triangle romance drama with aim to squeeze a tear or two.   Overall Rating: 6/10   36. Futari no Joe ふたりのジョー [Office AO] (Finished 1/6) Tags: Shounen Combat Sports Joe Yuki, one of the coolest DJs in Shibuya, has a secret identity as the leader of gangs. Because of his traumatic childhood, he fiercely hates "weaklings" and sees winning as his only option in life. One night, an old man is being taunted by the kid known as "the human punching bag." The old man reminds Joe of his parents and childhood, and he uncontrollably challenges the kid to a fight. A fight in which he's defeated, and his pride is utterly shattered into pieces. I see it as trying to parasite on Ashita no Joe name , but with two protagonists and only six episodes having to resort to simplifications. Since I'm not interested in spokons, no will to sample it further.   Overall Rating: 6/10   37. Alexandros no Ketsudan Alexander's Decision アレクサンドロスの決断 [Toei Animation] (Finished 0/1) Tags:  Historical  King Alexander of Macedonia and his troops are at war with the armies of Persia. When he suddenly falls ill, Alexander is faced with a decision: to trust his life-long Persian friend Philip and accept his help or treat him as an enemy because he is Persian. Only dubbed version found. Finally normal visuals unlike previous season and movie about Alexander. It's indeed difficult to stay impartial when father is betrayed and killed before one's eyes and letters warning of spies are arriving. Having received Aristotelean training, it can be assumed that he will take a good decision, but intrigue still remains of how it all ends. A good example how a historical story should look like, but with current length and pace it's not exactly masterpiece material.   Overall Rating: 6/10   38. Oseam 오세암 [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Drama  The animation is based on the fairy tale of the same name with the local sale over 100,000 copies by Jeong Chae-bong, a writer well known for his innocent and heart-stirring tales. It is a story about two orphans, Gil-son, a five-year-old boy, and his blind sister Gam-i who are brought up by a charitable monk at a secluded temple in Mt. Seorak. Gil-son, a mischievous boy, is the guide for this hour-long travel in search of innocence. Having a pure heart, he befriends all living things and communicates with clouds, birds and flowers. One snowy day, however... Using already successful material and going harsh rural childhood way is not a bad decision for still young Korean animation that's only starting to get serious. Still the best praise I can give is adequate as serious Korean drama for some reason always deals with some disability, fed up with that already.   Overall Rating: 6/10   39. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 11: Arashi wo Yobu Eikou no Yakiniku Road 映画 クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ栄光のヤキニクロード [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Action, Adventure, Comedy A slapstick comedy going back to the basic, "laughable" style of the TV series. One day, the Nohara family was looking forward to having an ultra-rich yakiniku dinner, but they were put on the Wanted List on suspicion of heinous crimes because of a scheme of a mysterious organization named Sweet Boys. The Nohara family must run from Sweet Boys' pursuit but to eat yakiniku for dinner they need to stop escaping and decide to meet the boss of Sweet Boys, who is based in Atami (a hot spring/resort city in Shizuoka Prefecture). The whole movie is about running away... that's not funny, just simple action humor.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  25. kivandopulus
    Lots of titles, lots of masterpieces. Gunslinger Girl , Gungrave and Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu Final deserve a honorary mention as minor masterpieces, but my heart is with Sakigake!! Cromartie Koukou    1. Fullmetal Alchemist 鋼の錬金術師 [Bones] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Shounen Military Action, Adventure, Award Winning, Drama, Fantasy Edward Elric, a young, brilliant alchemist, has lost much in his twelve-year life: when he and his brother Alphonse try to resurrect their dead mother through the forbidden act of human transmutation, Edward loses his brother as well as two of his limbs. With his supreme alchemy skills, Edward binds Alphonse's soul to a large suit of armor. A year later, Edward, now promoted to the fullmetal alchemist of the state, embarks on a journey with his younger brother to obtain the Philosopher's Stone. The fabled mythical object is rumored to be capable of amplifying an alchemist's abilities by leaps and bounds, thus allowing them to override the fundamental law of alchemy: to gain something, an alchemist must sacrifice something of equal value. Edward hopes to draw into the military's resources to find the fabled stone and restore his and Alphonse's bodies to normal. However, the Elric brothers soon discover that there is more to the legendary stone than meets the eye, as they are led to the epicenter of a far darker battle than they could have ever imagined. Just as with other notorious shounens I could never understand the hype and had to listen to some podcasts about it to see what excites people in it. And I did not get good answers - just story of their mother, some epic action, the way equivalent exchange works. Nothing of this makes sense it's it's just super minor points. I'll get to listen to some more with time, but for now after three episodes it's exactly average shounen that's too childish to even consider watching seriously.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Planetes プラネテス [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Space, Workplace Award Winning, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi  In 2075, space travel is no longer just a dream, but an everyday reality for mankind. Advancements in science and technology have led to the colonization of the moon, the commercialization of outer space, and the formation of large space corporations. Ai Tanabe, an upbeat woman whose interests lie in the cosmos, joins Technora Corporation as a member of their Debris Section, a department dedicated to the removal of dangerous space junk between the orbits of the Earth and Moon. However, Ai soon discovers how unappreciated her job is. As the laughingstock of Technora, the Debris Section is severely understaffed, poorly funded, and is forced to use a dilapidated spaceship nicknamed the "Toy Box" for debris retrieval. Undeterred, Ai perseveres and gradually becomes acquainted with the strange personalities that make up the Debris Section's staff, such as the bumbling but good-natured chief clerk Philippe Myers; the mysterious and tight-lipped temp worker Edelgard Rivera; and the hotheaded and passionate Hachirouta Hoshino, who longs for a spaceship to call his own. Planetes is an unconventional sci-fi series that portrays the vastness of space as a backdrop for the personal lives of ordinary people—people who may have been born on Earth, but whose hopes and dreams lie amongst the stars. Welcome the new space janitor Roger Wilco... I mean, some bland girls. I remember dropping this series even when I was younger and more open-minded for weird stuff popping up the screen. Planetes is just SOL on a spaceship with occasional collecting space trash. That's basically it, because everything is supposed to look cooler in space. So it has no story and no humor, plus not interesting characters, as for me. I'm sure author put a lot of effort in character development and unique situations, but it's not the buying points. Just SOL in unusual place is enough for a concept, there must be something of substance to go, for some reason newer anime can find that something alright, but pioneers got lost in weird experiments.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Chrno Crusade Chrono Crusade クロノクルセイド [Gonzo] (Finished 3/24) Tags: Shounen Historical, Mythology Action, Romance, Supernatural The 1920s was a decade of great change and upheaval, with monstrous demons appearing across America. To combat this menace, the holy organization known as the Order of Magdalene was established. The organization's New York branch is home to the young and reckless Sister Rosette Christopher, as well as her partner Chrno. Tasked with the extermination of demonic threats, the renowned team is excellent at their job, despite causing extensive collateral damage on their missions. However, both Rosette and Chrno are driven by their dark pasts. Through exterminating demons, Rosette hopes to find her lost brother Joshua who was taken by the sinner and demon, Aion, with whom Chrno also shares a bloody history. The two of them must fight off the increasingly dangerous demonic menace and discover its source, while continuing to search for the truth behind Joshua's disappearance. Another shounen with decent visuals, but what's really special about it... I see two good points - lack of evident weak sides and also serious attitude with occasional relief. Nun and good demon fight bad demons , and that's it - no aim, no motivation of both sides, no real hunt. Just enjoy SOL or character past stories and by the end of the episode some demon will hop by. It's not Hellsing to live on characters and action, but even Hellsing had a more refined concept and development than this mess.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Gunslinger Girl ガンスリンガー・ガール [Madhouse] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Military, Psychological Action, Drama, Sci-Fi In the heart of Italy, the Social Welfare Agency rescues young girls from hospital beds and gives them a second chance at life using the latest in cybernetic advancements. With their artificially enhanced bodies, the girls are brainwashed and trained as assassins to carry out the dirty work of the Italian Government. Despite all the modifications, they are still just children at heart, struggling for recognition from those they love, even knowing the love they feel is manufactured. This tragic tale unfolds as these girls grapple with their emotions in an agency that treats them as nothing but ruthless killers. Seen it long ago, but it still keeps a small corner in my heart, enough for a minor masterpiece though. Serious, dramatic, sympathetic.   Overall Rating: 7/10   5. Gungrave ガングレイヴ [Madhouse] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Adult Cast, Gore, Organized Crime, Super Power Action, Drama, Sci-Fi Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowel, two friends so close they could be called brothers, receive an abrupt and violent reminder one fateful day of how appallingly merciless the world around them can be. Their whole lives before then were simple and easygoing, consisting largely of local brawls, seducing women, and committing petty theft to make a living and pass the time. What they failed to realize is that in this cruel world, happiness is fleeting, and change is inevitable. Enter Millennion, the largest and most infamous mafia syndicate in the area, which accepts Brandon and Harry into their ranks and starts them at the bottom of the food chain. Harry has ambitions to ascend the ranks and one day replace Big Daddy as the supreme leader of Millennion, while Brandon only wishes to support his friend and appease Big Daddy who has taken custody of the woman Brandon loves. Based off the third-person shooter video game under the same name, Gungrave is an epic story of friendship, betrayal, and avarice that spans the course of several years, ultimately tying back to the gripping and foreboding first episode, all the while building up to the story's thrilling conclusion. It was always a masterpiece for me, but the one that needs to be known and remembered, not rewatched, so probably will also settle with a minor masterpiece score. To avoid spoilers can only say that story was really impressive and dramatic the first time seen.   Overall Rating: 7/10   6. Shingetsutan Tsukihime Lunar Legend Tsukihime 真月譚 月姫 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Super Power, Vampire Action, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Shiki Toono wakes up in a hospital ward with the ability to see invisible lines. These thin threads, which make up all matter in Shingetsutan, instantly destroy an object when severed. Shiki discovers that if he traces the lines of something, its destruction soon follows. While keeping his supernatural vision a secret, Shiki proceeds to live his sophomore life in peace. However, this peace is short-lived when Shiki encounters a mysterious woman with bright red eyes on his way back from school. Following a sudden psychotic lapse, he appears to kill the woman, and passes out shortly after. As if things couldn't get any worse, Shiki is assailed by a pair of demonic hounds the next day—facing certain death, Shiki is saved by the timely arrival of the same woman from yesterday. She introduces herself as Arcueid Brunestud, a vampire princess. Deciding to team up, Shiki and Arcueid embark on a journey to uncover the truth behind their lineage and the recent string of murders around town. The beginning is great, but I don't remember this SOL in the middle where all characters drink tea together rather peacefully. All this sudden lose of tension does not qualify for a masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien Rumbling Hearts 君が望む永遠 [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 14/14) Tags: Love Polygon Drama, Romance In the warmth of a golden sun, timid high school student Haruka Suzumiya confesses to Takayuki Narumi, the boy she admires. Takayuki accepts Haruka's confession and the two become a couple, supported by their mutual friends Mitsuki Hayase and Shinji Taira. All is well for these friends—until tragedy strikes. One of them is sent to an unenviable fate, lying dormant in a coma. Three years later, they awaken, but their sudden reappearance in everyone's lives threatens to test the limits of these friends' bonds. A normal love triangle modified by one girl in coma. Unlike Memories Off characters are at least memorable, still it's decent at best.   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. Sakigake!! Cromartie Koukou Cromartie High School 魁!! クロマティ高校 [Production I.G] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Shounen Delinquents, Gag Humor, School Takashi Kamiyama is your typical mild-mannered high school student—polite, aloof, and pacifistic, with a slightly above-average IQ. But would your average high school student really enroll himself at the infamous Cromartie High School, known as a breeding ground for the toughest delinquents out there? Apparently so, as that is exactly what Takashi does, though for reasons he'd rather leave unmentioned. However, one thing is for sure: the "hard-boiled rabbit in a den full of hungry lions" is never going to have another dull day. And how could he, now that he's surrounded by mohawked punks, obnoxious robots, and... gorillas? And was that Freddie Mercury riding a horse down the corridor? Follow Takashi as he earnestly dedicates his new high school life to better his school's reputation while his classmates are hellbent on wreaking havoc. Great comedy with absurdity of humor just enough for me to enjoy. I say it deserves top score reserved for such comedies.   Overall Rating: 8/10   9. Maburaho まぶらほ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/24) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Drama, Romance, Ecchi In the world of Maburaho, everyone is born with the ability to use magic and are thus labeled magicians. However, the magical ability of each person is not equal. The number of times you can use magic determines the amount of respect you receive, and since one’s magical power is determined at birth by traits and genetics, those who have a bloodline stemming from famous magicians are highly sought after. Having the lowest magic count in Aoi Academy, Kazuki Shikimori is looked down upon by his classmates and seen as a nearly worthless magician. However, his bloodline consists of many great magicians throughout the ages, meaning that while he may not be a great magician, his offspring could be. This leads to him being sought after by three different young women: Yuna Miyama, a transfer student who declares herself his wife upon arrival, Rin Kamishiro, a prideful swordswoman of a traditional family who wants to kill him so she will be free to pursue her own desires, and Kuriko Kazetsubaki, a member of an influential family who bluntly tries to seduce him for his genes. Now he has to deal with not only the jealousy of all the guys in his school, but also various women chasing after him! A typical thematic ecchi harem, totally plain.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo ボボボーボ・ボーボボ  [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/76) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi In a futuristic world, the Maruhage Empire is a militant organization out to steal everyone's hair, and thus their freedom. But a brave man with an afro of gold and nose hairs of steel stands up against their tyranny. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, trained in the ways of hair, rescues a teenager named Beauty from the grunts of the Maruhage Empire. Together, they start on a journey to defeat Emperor Tsuru Tsurulina IV. As Bo-bobo meets new friends and battles foes along the way, so too does he begin his quest to save all the hairs of the world! Light-hearted and comical, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo details a wacky adventure in which Bo-bobo and his companions fight all sorts of villains and deviants within the Maruhage Empire, all the while having a fun and exciting adventure. Total absurdity that I can't stand, hardly endured a single episode, so better ask someone else.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. R.O.D: The TV R.O.D -The TV- アール・オー・ディー ザ・ティーヴィー [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/26) Tags: Super Power Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi Anita King, Maggie Mui, and Michelle Cheung are the Paper Sisters. They run the Three Sisters Detective Agency in Hong Kong which is dedicated to solving cases involving books. They are hired as local guides for Nenene Sumiregawa, a Japanese novelist who has been struggling with writer's block following the disappearance of her longtime friend, Yomiko Readman. The sisters are all Paper Masters—individuals with the power to control paper—and with their abilities, they save Nenene from the dangerous terrorists targeting her at a book signing. But in case they strike again, the sisters remain as her bodyguards to protect her from further harm. This is a dream come true for bookworms Maggie and Michelle who love Nenene's stories, but the young Anita cannot stand books despite her powers over paper. The three struggle to adapt to their new daily life in Japan, guarding Nenene while continuing their detective work under a mysterious organization, Dokusensha. However, the more they get to know Nenene, the more they discover the link between her, the disappearance of her friend Yomiko, and the mysterious books Dokusensha sends the Paper Masters to investigate. What began as a simple job ends up a bigger case than they have ever had before. Are these girls really willing to risk their lives over literature? Concept was clear from the OVA - some detective mystery with absurd action afterwards. And serialization only highlighted its flaws and lack of story.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi 藍より青し～縁～ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Seinen Harem Comedy, Drama, Romance Two years after meeting Aoi, Kaoru and gang are still up to their normal habits. Kaoru now in grad school and the tenants being as rowdy as ever what will become of Aoi and Kaoru's love. Two years has passed since Aoi and Kaoru were freed from the bonds of their families. They continue to live their normal lives with their usual friends in their house. Still decent romance even after confession, still too typical for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Peace Maker Kurogane PEACE MAKER 鐵 [Gonzo] (Finished 9/24) Tags: Shounen Historical, Samurai Action, Comedy Although traumatized by witnessing the murder of his parents by one of the Choushuu, Ichimura Tetsunosuke's thirst for revenge lead him to desire strength. At the age of 15, Tetsunosuke approached the Shinsengumi, wanting to become one of its members. However, Tetsunosuke lacked the skill, mind and will to emotionlessly cut down whoever threatened peace and the Shinsengumi. Even with the support of his brother Tatsunosuke and his newfound friends of the Shinsengumi, little did Tetsunosuke know the blood and pain he would have to face being part of this historical group. I really tried to like Peace maker Kurogane. Main problem for me is that half of it is silly shounen with a typical cheeky brat, and the other half is serious drama with adult samurai. The will to appeal to different audiences can be understood, but this ambiguity can scare seinen audience off. There is also a lot of confusion and strange scenes that aren't explained. As I see it, Kurogane tries to imitate Kenshin series badly and in the end falls short in comparison, and I did not even rate Kenshin as masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 6/10   14. Gilgamesh ギルガメッシュ [Group TAC, Japan Vistec] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Supernatural  In an attempt to gather information on immortality, scientists from around the world have assembled to study "Heaven's Gate"—the tomb turned laboratory of the mythical king Gilgamesh. But soon enough, the research is deemed unethical and all planned work comes to a halt. However, a group of terrorists pay this no thought and storm into Heaven's Gate, ultimately causing an explosion that leads to the collapse of the advanced information civilization. Many years after the incident, the siblings Tatsuya and Kiyoko Madoka are on the run from thugs. Yet this seems to be the least of their worries as they find themselves in the midst of a war between two powerful cryptic factions. With both groups claiming to fight for the betterment of society, Tatsuya and Kiyoko will have to find a way to decide who to trust. I'd say genre is mystery because it's never clear where it all is going to and more and more confusing stuff just piles up. But without all the cryptic stuff it's mostly running away and getting to know this strange world with its rules and factions, also fighting, of course. Despite ugly drawing it's not bad, but it failed to attract me in  four episodes, and I doubt it actually has any direction at all to fill those 26 episodes, and I don't fancy rationalizing messy stuff.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Kyougoku Natsuhiko: Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari Requiem from the Darkness 京極夏彦　巷説百物語 [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Historical, Psychological Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural Tired of writing riddles for children, Yamaoka Momosuke plans on gathering spooky and gruesome stories and publishing them in an anthology called Hyakumonogatari ("One Hundred Tales"). While researching these old myths and legends he comes across a mysterious trio who call themselves the Ongyou. They are detectives who are investigating the legends to reveal their truths...and bring those in the wrong to justice. Each time Momosuke meets the Ongyou he must face horrible truths and battle with his morals, but he's seeing things he shouldn't be seeing... I detest horror, mystery and anthology genres, so this is a combo for me. Still a lot better than all the school urban legends or whatever we usually get as horrors.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Battle Programmer Shirase バトルプログラマーシラセ [AIC] (Finished 15/15) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi  Battle Programmer Shirase, also known as BPS, is a free programmer with super hacking abilities who doesn't work for money. What he does work for is certainly something that only people like him would appreciate. But, his demeanor certainly doesn't suit the jobs he is hired for. With the evil King of America causing trouble via the internet, Shirase is nothing but busy as each new adventure brings even more interesting people into the picture. By a twist of fate, I watched it in the past and actually liked quite a lot. It's mostly about coolness, but with time I can hardly appreciate that anymore. Great for youth though.   Overall Rating: 6/10   17. Saiyuuki Reload Saiyuki Reload 最遊記RELOAD [Pierrot] (Finished 1/25) Tags: Josei Mythology Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Supernatural Priest Genjo Sanzo and companions Cho Hakkai, Sha Gojyo, and Son Goku maintain their westward journey to stop the resurrection of the demon Gyoumao. As the reputation of the Sanzo Ikkou precedes them, they continue to fight demon assassins at every turn, but they must also deal with increasing tensions within their group in order to defeat a powerful enemy. Since it's a sequel, it depends on attitude to prequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito Yamibo: Darkness, The Hat and the Travelers of the Books ヤミと帽子と本の旅人 [Studio Deen] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Girls Love, Mystery, Ecchi  Hatsuki is a highschool student living with her sister, Hatsumi, who she has a huge crush on. On Hatsumi's 16th birthday, she is suddenly surrounded by a green light and disappears in front of Hatsuki. She manages to follow Hatsumi with the help of a being resembling a fat baby chick (literally), ending up in a place called "The Great Library", which is full of different worlds stored in books. Hatsumi wasn't there, though, so the search for Hatsuki's great love begins and involves traveling from book to book. Source material is weak. I guess it's possible to proceed on visuals alone, but there's nothing but  disappointment in the end, anyway.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Mujin Wakusei Survive 無人惑星サヴァイヴ [Madhouse, Telecom Animation Film] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Survival Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life The story is set in the 22nd century where space travel, planet colonization and anti-gravity basketball are practically everyday things. Planet Earth has become uninhabitable, and therefore people live in colonies on the surrounding planets. On a school field trip, a mistake causes the protagonist, a young transfer student named Luna, her pet robot, and six of her classmates to be thrown through a gravity storm and crash land on a seemingly uninhabited planet. There, with Luna as their leader, the robot cat Chako, the lone wolf Kaoru, the spoiled rich boy Howard, the shy Sharla, the obedient Bell, the prideful musician Menori and the young genius Shingo must fight for their survival. But is the planet really uninhabited, or is there someone or something out there, waiting in the shadows? A cast of bright characters is thrown to an uninhabited planet to... actually, without purpose - just to be , survive , generate some situations. There's no conflict, no real mystery, no magic elements... it's just SOL for 52 episodes. Unless viewer is a kid who learns stuff through this or viewer likes some characters a lot, I see no good reason to watch this. Unfortunately, original stories are often made to suit format and not to actually tell a story.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Takahashi Rumiko Gekijou Ningyo no Mori Mermaid Forest 高橋留美子劇場 人魚の森 [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Shounen Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery According to an ancient legend, mermaid's flesh can grant immortality if eaten. 500 years ago, Yuta unknowingly ate a piece of mermaid's flesh. For centuries, he travels across Japan, hoping to find a mermaid, thinking she may be able to make him a normal human again. When he finally finds one, he discovers that she and her companions have been raising a girl to be their food so they can eat her and take on her youthful looks. That is how mermaids stay young. Yuta kills the mermaids and rescues her, but she has already eaten some of the mermaid's flesh. Although he had to kill the mermaids, Yuta isn't too disappointed. Yuta's once lonely existence is now over, as he has found a companion in Mana. And Mana, who had been trapped in a small hut her whole life, finds delight in even the simplest of things. Together, Yuta and Mana attempt to seek out more mermaids, trying to become normal humans again. I seriously detested first two Rumiko anime about mermaid flesh. I can't understand why it can be so bad and why anyone in sane mind would serialize it. I've experienced so many negative emotions within just a single episode that I can't call it even average. It's straight horrible.   Overall Rating: 4/10   21. Binzume Yousei 瓶詰妖精  [Xebec] (Finished 1/13) Tags: CGDCT Comedy, Fantasy Set in the year 2004, Binzume Yousei is a slice-of-life fairy tale that revolves around four fairies, each represented by four unique colors as seen with their magical bottle jars. These fairies are the extremely peppy Kururu, the reserved and feminine Chiriri, the samurai-loving tomboy Sarara, and the quiet yet quirky Hororo. Fascinated by the human world, these fairies arrived from the fairy world in hopes of participating in the annual traditions and overall way of human life. However, they have a very limited understanding of the human world. Luckily, they are befriended and guided by two humans—"Sensei-san," a university student who they live with, and a first-grade girl they call "Tama-chan," who is sometimes as naive as the fairies themselves. Though these bottle fairies have strange ideas and sometimes have difficulty understanding this new world, they try to make the most of the human experience in their own cute little ways. Episodes are just half the usual length, but at least not 4 minutes of Di Gi Charat that I could not possibly allow to list. Genre is familiar cute blobs do random stuff in a cute way. Hope no one expects anything more than that here...   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Shinkon Gattai Godannar!! Marriage of God & Soul Godannar!! 神魂合体ゴーダンナー！！ [OLM, AIC ASTA] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Mecha Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Five years ago, while battling an alien force known as the "Mimesis," Dannar pilot Goh Saruwatari first met Anna Aoi. Today, on the day of their wedding, the ceremony is interrupted when the Mimesis strike again. As Goh struggles in his battle against the alien threat, Anna stumbles upon a top secret robot known as the "Neo-Okusaer" and uses it as a last-resort to save her fiancee. At that moment, Dannar and Neo-Okusaer merge to become the mighty robot "Godannar." It's so funny how old mecha was so pretentiously serious and newer mecha is almost exclusively ecchi. Cheesy and primitive.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Avenger アヴェンジャー [Bee Train] (Finished 2/13) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi  Mars has been colonized and is a world where children have been replaced by robot servants known as "dolls." Layla is a skilled fighter with a tragic past who travels about the world. Her companions are Nei, a strange and unique doll with some unknown ties to Layla, and Speedy, who is a doll breeder. The founders of Mars see the trio as a threat to their world, and each time they attack Layla and Nei a bit more of their mysterious past and future is revealed. Mars as stage is just wasteland with high tech locations, so can't call it great. Story is... non-existent as companions literally just travel around the world. That's probably done to shift focus to characters and their stories that unfold one by one... but characters are rather schematic and not interesting either. Setting of dolls is not really unique, and there's heavens and earth between Armitage III and this. Guess execution and weird story moves are to blame.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Rockman.EXE Axess MegaMan NT Warrior: Axess ロックマンエグゼ Axess [Xebec] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Mecha, Strategy Game Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Netto's father Yuuichirou Hikari has made a scientific breakthrough by introducing the "synchro chips". If an operator and his or her navi are in a special enviroment known as a "dimensional area", they can fuse together in the real world via a technique called "cross fusion"! Yuuichirou's first test subject, Misaki Gorou, attempts the process and sadly fails. Netto offers to try with Rockman, but his father forbids it. Cross Fusion puts enormous strain on the operator's health, and battling in the real world could mean death. Sequel about toy robots sparring is back.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. Ginga Tetsudou Monogatari The Galaxy Railways 銀河鉄道物語 [Planet] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Space Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi In the distant future, trains are no longer bound by their physical tracks. Instead, they take to the skies and travel across the universe on the Galaxy Railways, transporting mankind from planet to planet. However, the Galaxy Railways are no safer than traditional trains: criminals, terrorists, and vile aliens always find a way to stir up trouble. Manabu Yuuki, a rash and hot-headed man, is the latest addition to the Galaxy Railways' elite Space Defence Force (SDF). These brave men and women are responsible for protecting the railways and responding to any unprecedented danger, risking their lives to protect the innocent from evil. But as this drama unfolds and the SDF's greatest crisis draws nearer, Manabu must truly learn what it means to be a member of the SDF before it is too late. Since it's alternative setting of Ginga Tetsudou 999, there's not much to say about it. Recycled characters to inhabit recycled story which is different, but feels like young Daiba/Harlock training as captain. So we once again need to watch as immature emotional captain toughens up and makes difficult decisions. It's far from great and feels worse than Harlock.   Overall Rating: 6/10   26. Futatsu no Spica Twin Spica ふたつのスピカ [Group TAC] (Finished 3/20) Tags: School Drama, Sci-Fi, Supernatural  When Kamogawa Asumi was just a baby, her mother was grievously injured when a rocket crashed to the ground. Five years later, having been in a coma all the time, Asumi's mother finally dies, and the little girl struggles to come to terms with the death of a mother she barely remembers. In the midst of her turmoil, she meets "Lion-san," a strange figure wearing a lion mask and claiming to be a ghost. Lion-san helps Asumi to bury her mother's ashes, and finally, Asumi reaches her own decision: "When I grow up, I'm going to be a rocket pilot." I absolutely hate fake romanticism shows about space like constructing a rocket or training to become astronauts with maybe Robotics;Notes as sole, but still boring, exception. Don't remember how much of Futatsu no Spica I watched in the past, but only negative emotions remain.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. UFO Princess Valkyrie 2: Juunigatsu no Yasoukyoku UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie 2: December Nocturne 円盤皇女ワるきゅーレ 十二月の夜想曲 [TNK] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi  Valkyrie, Kazuto, Akina, Hydra, and friends are back for more when the Key of time suddenly appears along with many other mysterious happenings. All seemed to be linked to a person named "Valkyrie Ghost" whose only goal is stealing Kazuto for herself. As they team up against this seeming unbeatable foe they dig deeper into the mysterious past of Valkyrie's home planet, Valhalla. Second season, so should be clear.   Overall Rating: 5/10   28. F-Zero: Falcon Densetsu F-Zero: GP Legend F-ZERO ファルコン伝説 [Ashi Productions] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Mecha, Racing Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Rick Wheeler was a police detective who got into a fatal car accident while pursuing the criminal Zoda. He was placed into artificial coldsleep for 150 years. Wheeler is brought back to life by Jody Summer and Dr. Stewart, who work with a group of good racers who try to keep prize money out of the hands of unsavory people like the Dark Million Organization run by Black Shadow and Deathborn. Video game adaptation racing mecha? It was doomed even as concept long before seeing this ugly CGI.   Overall Rating: 5/10   29. PopoloCrois ポポロクロイス [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy Pinon, the boy who flows within his body, the blood of the three races (the Dragons, the fairies and the humans), is actually the son of the Courageous One, Pietro. Pinon's encounter with a mysterious animal, Pap, opens up the door to an adventurous journey. He befriends Luna and Marco on the way. However, when he learns that his adventure will determine the fate of PoPoLoCrois, Pinon hardens his heart and leaves his friends. Unknown to him, this is an introductory chapter to a new adventure and Pinon will realise that he must resolve the bigger crisis present in PoPoLoCrois. Everything here cries "kids only". It manages to present even sword fight with skeletons and monsters as something super unserious so that Dragon Quest looks like a serious drama in comparison.   Overall Rating: 6/10   30. Papuwa パプワ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Adventure, Comedy  In this sequel series, events continue four years after they left off in the first series. Papuwa-kun is a mysterious boy who lives on a new tropical island full of the same crazy creatures. Along with his maid, Liquid, and his new amnestic friend, "Rotarou", they lead nonsensical adventures as they try to evade and confuse the Ganma Army, Special Corps, and even the Shinsengumi from discovering Rotarou's real secret and taking him away. First season only translated pilot episode looked like low quality and more absurd imitation of Dragon Ball. Now quality has improved and absurdity has bloomed even more. Lack of logical development soon invokes headache for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   31. Midnight Horror School ミッドナイトホラースクール [Milky Cartoon] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Comedy  The school has 26 students with each name of them beginning with a letter of the alphabet in order and a color, 3 teachers, 3 classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, a music room, a playroom, a fountain, a skeleton playground, a graveyard and several school staff. Not translated. Kids 3D show to learn letters, colors and some other basics. There are two stories in each episode. That's as far as I'm willing to go investigating this.   Overall Rating: 5/10   32. Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu Final ジャングルはいつもハレのちグゥ　ＦＩＮＡＬ [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 7/7) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor Award Winning, Comedy, Slice of Life Haré's family receives a video letter from Weda's home in the city. Witnessing how sad and lonely Weda's mother and Bel are without her, Weda decides to take Haré and Guu back to the city for a while. After Haré complains about being bored and lonely without his friends in the jungle (as part of his plot to persuade his mother to take him back), Weda decides to send him to a private school in the city, where he instanly falls in love with a pretty girl named Rita. But, of course, Guu wants part of the action too. After great series Deluxe OVA looked like thematic episodic stories about different characters, but now the great Guu is back in full swing - just crazy concentrated comedy. I decided to never rate direct sequels the same score as original, so it's one score less now, but overall same high level.   Overall Rating: 7/10   33. Aquarian Age: Saga II - Don't Forget Me... アクエリアンエイジ Saga II ~Don't forget me...~  [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Super Power Action, Drama During the chaotic period known in Western astrology as the Aquarian Age, the alien ERASER fleet attacks Earth, ravaging cities. However, a counteroffensive is launched. The four factions—ARAYASHIKI, WIZDOM, DARKLORE, and E.G.O.—who have been fighting each other for control of Earth, join forces to defeat the ERASERS. In the aftermath, Earth is placed under the unified rule of the POLESTAR EMPIRE. However, peace is shattered when the EMPIRE begins to use forbidden magic. These dark powers cause dimensional rifts around the world and once again plunge Earth into chaos and warfare Ironically, in contrast to "Don't Forget Me" title this sequel is totally forgettable. Without finishing original season it all looks like a spree of chaotic action. There's some kind of finale for the boy and five girls from different factions, but it's as messy as everything else in here.   Overall Rating: 5/10   34. Comic Party Revolution OVA こみっくパーティーRevolution [Chaos Project] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Otaku Culture Comedy A college student, Sendō Kazuki, happened to set foot in the doujinshi community. There, people are producing and selling doujinshi, which is the comic book drawn by fans rather than professional writers. At first he was reluctant, but as he met the girls earnest about producing doujinshi, he was gradually involved in creating it himself. This series is based on a Dreamcast/PC game, "Comic Party", and its setting is different from the TV series. The main characters, Kazuki, Taishi, and Mizuki are college students whereas they were high school students in the TV series. The story starts after Kazuki has become acquainted with other characters. Main problem of routine in Comic Party is gone, but these three episodes are sort of fan-disc short stories with side-heroines, so can't even treat it seriously.   Overall Rating: 5/10   35. Moekan The Animation モエかん THE ANIMATION [KSS] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Comedy, Romance  An anarchistic country that is said to dominate the world exists on a vast island known as Moekko Island. This is where the final works of AC Company's android combat maids (resembling beautiful young girls) are done, also where these maids get there communication training. A new maid is to come to the island to be trained, Rinia, she is a young looking girl, who has lost her all of her memories, she tries very hard to impress the owner at Moekko island, but just ends up making a lot of trouble around the mansion. Takahiro, the owner of Moekko island, a depressive young man who has also lost his memories is seen as a very unhappy person who thinks Rinia will only be trouble around the mansion. As time passes, Takahiro slowly grows attached to Rinia's attempted ways of helping and so starts a beautiful relationship among the quiet island. I'd say it's closer to average. Some scenes transferred from the game are ok, but all different routes mashed up into one monstrosity did not do good here.   Overall Rating: 5/10   36. Kidou Shinsengumi Moeyo Ken Moeyo Ken 機動新撰組　萌えよ剣 [Trinet Entertainment, Picture Magic] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Historical Adventure, Comedy Set in the Meiji era, Kidou Shinsengumi Moeyo Ken tells the story of Kondou Yuuko, Hijikata Toshie and Okita Kaoru. These three are the daughters of former Shinsengumi members and, in the same fashion as their fathers were, they get called upon to protect Japan from its current problems. Much of their work deals with vanquishing the mysterious paranormal phenomena springing up ever more frequently in the Kyoto area and defending the city from any other dangers that may arise. Nonsense setting , characters and beasts from phenomena in a short OVA. Flow is also whatever for the bigger half and some fight at the end. It tries to be comedy, but comedies are supposed to be funny.   Overall Rating: 5/10   37. Kingdom of Chaos: Born to Kill キングダム・オブ・カオス 〜ボーン・トゥー・キル〜 [Idea Factory] (Finished 1/4) Tags: Fantasy Neverland is a world where humans, demons and dieux live peacefully. Lord of the Kingdom of Bjor, wants to conquer the world... Anime based on the online game "Kingdom of Chaos (K.O.C.)". Only found a single translated episode, and can't really say much after just 25 minutes - just some weird fantasy setting with ugly graphics.   Overall Rating: 5/10   38. Heart Cocktail Again ハートカクテルアゲイン [Meruhensha] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Romance An OVA produced to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Watase Seizou's Heart Cocktail manga. Guess depends on whether you get to catch sentimental vibe from it. I did not, for me it's pseudo-seinen.   Overall Rating: 5/10   39. Tokyo Godfathers 東京ゴッドファーザーズ [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Childcare Award Winning, Comedy, Drama One Christmas Eve, Hana, Gin, and Miyuki are rummaging for presents through heaps of garbage when they chance upon an abandoned baby in the cold winter night. Appalled at the pitiful sight, Hana's maternal instincts kick in and she insists on finding the baby's biological mother to demand an explanation. Naming the baby Kiyoko—meaning pure child—they begin their search using the possible clues left alongside her: a mysterious key and a single note. However, their plans are soon thrown into disarray as they get caught up in a series of unprecedented events. Tokyo Godfathers follows the journey of the trio as they stick together through thick and thin, hoping to deliver Kiyoko to her true home, and find their very own Christmas miracle. It's a well animated curious chasing story, but it dwells on miracles and bad luck way too much. I definitely don't enjoy it aesthetically as it's mostly about unpleasant people in unpleasant places doing unpleasant things, so the main question left for me is the message of the movie, the reason to watch it. And all I see here is some clever tricks, a way to tell several life stories and social commentary on homeless people who are just like everyone else and even recently successful people while in some qualities are even better than the most. I find it all really ugly and senseless, so I see no reason to recommend it. Cheesy weird Christmas fairy-tale about bums.   Overall Rating: 6/10   40. Fuyu no Hi 冬の日 [Imagica] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Award Winning Winter Days is based on one of the renku (collaborative linked poems) by the 17th-century Japanese poet Bashō. The creation of the film followed the traditional collaborative nature of the source material – the visuals for each of the 36 stanzas were independently created by 35 different animators. Each animator was asked to contribute at least 30 seconds to illustrate their stanza, and most of the sequences are under a minute (Yuriy Norshteyn's, though, is nearly two minutes long). As you see, it's avant-garde anthology with hokku in between. And most of the animation is not even real anime...   Overall Rating: 5/10   41. Kochira Katsushikaku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo The Movie 2: UFO Shuurai! Tornado Daisakusen!! こちら葛飾区亀有公園前派出所　ＴＨＥ　ＭＯＶＩＥ２　ＵＦＯ襲来！トルネード大作戦！！ [Fuji TV, Shueisha] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Adult Cast, Detective, Gag Humor Action, Comedy, Mystery More movie mayhem for Ryoutsu. This time it's just fooling around and having a rest while trying to earn money for Ryoutsu. It all brings to UFO case only accidentally. Again only not bad.   Overall Rating: 6/10   42. Ougon no Hou: El Cantare no Rekishikan The Golden Laws 黄金の法　エル・カンターレの歴史観 [Group TAC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Fantasy In the year 2403 AD a young student named Satoru is visited by a time traveler from the future, a cute girl named Alisa. The two go back in time together to explore the 21st century when a malfunction sends them hurdling through seemingly random episodes of religious and perhaps historic importance. Japan's answer to Scientology, Kyoufuku no Kagaku (幸福の科学, also known as The Institute for Research in Human Happiness), returns with their third animated feature. Time travel and just peeking into some myths is hardly a good concept to choose. Nonsense is the closest word to describe it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   43. Atashin'chi Movie 映画 あたしンち [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Super Power Comedy In a stormy night, Mikan and Mom were stricken by lightning simultaneously and switched bodies. In the following days, while Mom enjoyed being a student again, Mikan had to fought with house chores. Meanwhile, Yuzuhiko and Dad were busy looking for a way to switch them back. Not translated. It's all in the synopsis, really. And since I can't get used to ugly character designs, it gets another score point deduction.   Overall Rating: 5/10
×
×
  • Create New...