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kivandopulus

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  1. 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
  2. kivandopulus
    I ended up giving the same masterpiece scores to Mononoke Hime and Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion , but the latter prevails as it's more psychological.    1. Rekka no Honoo Flame of Recca 烈火の炎 [Pierrot] (Finished 3/42) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Super Power Action, Adventure Most people think that ninjas are a thing of the past, but Rekka Hanabishi wishes otherwise. Although he comes from a family that makes fireworks, he likes to think of himself as a self-styled, modern-day ninja. Sounds like fun, right? Maybe not. Rekka ends up in lots of fights because he once made the bold announcement that if someone can defeat him, he will become their servant. Then one day, Rekka meets Yanagi Sakoshita, a gentle girl with the ability to heal any wound or injury. Their meeting sets off a chain of events, which culminate into a shocking discovery. Rekka is the last surviving member of a legendary ninja clan that was wiped out centuries ago. Even more astonishing than being an actual ninja, he also wields the power to control fire. What does this mean for Rekka? Who are these strange people after him and Yanagi? Find out in Rekka no Honoo! Even prior to watching it, Rekka no Honoo reminded Yu Yu Hakusho a lot. As it starts in school, similarities only multiply. Pretty sure Yu Yu Hakusho fans will like this one, but even though I prefer ninja theme to spirits , this anime remains action shounen, and I need additional complexity in something to appreciate those.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Misute♡naide Daisy Don't Leave Me Alone, Daisy みすて♡ないでデイジー [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi The story begins when an innocent, but busty, young schoolgirl goes to recover her hat from what she thought was an abandoned house. But within that house, spying on her, is a deranged madman. Seeing her he becomes obsessed with controlling her, owning her, bending her to his every whim. He, and his array of high tech tools, will threaten her with death, mutilation, control, humiliation and the loss of her own will and identity. Terrors biological, chemical and nuclear will come into play in the nightmare that is her new, controlled, life. Not funny, offensive and scary. I really believe that this series can be harmful, thus it can only be not recommended score.   Overall Rating: 4/10   3. Ninpen Manmaru 忍ペンまん丸 [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Shounen Anthropomorphic, Samurai Comedy Manmaru goes to ninja school at Nenga, where foxes and raccoons study the art of assassination under a bear ninja master. He is soon thrown in to local rivalry between the Nenga school, the Koga (monkeys), and the Iga (dogs), as well as facing temptations from the Dobe, a group of dropouts from the Nenga. Only one episode is translated. Humor is actually good even though partly absurd, content is light, but not childish. There are two stories in the episode, so it's one of those comedy SOL goodies  .   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Rayearth Magic Knight Rayearth OVA レイアース [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Isekai Action, Adventure, Fantasy The Earth lies darkened and deserted. Despite the best efforts of the film's heroine, Hikaru, the evil-filled castle of Cephiro has taken over the world and stands in the center of a lifeless Tokyo. Before the ice-witch Alcyone can take her revenge on Hikaru, she is rescued by Lantis, a young man who seals her into a magical maze where she is challenged to prove her powers while her friends are hunted down by Cephiro's warlocks. Fleeing through the silent city, Umi and Fuu must seek out the sleeping Mashin; godlike creatures that will fuse with them to form giant warriors of awesome destructive power. But the Magic Knights are afraid, untrained and alone... will even the Mashin be enough to save them from the evil acts of Cephiro? It's like movie X 1999, just with Rayearth characters. A rather strange alternative story as first episode is nice and cool, the rest two are very confusing. Some explanations are only given at the very end when impression is already negative.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. B'T X Neo Ｂ’Ｔ　Ｘ（ビート・エックス）　ＮＥＯ  [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/14) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure Continuation of Teppei's journey with B't X to rescue his brother Kotaro Takamiya from the Machine Empire. The OAV series picks off from the TV series from the point where Hokuto successfully saves both Teppei and B't X and makes B't X far more powerful than before. Horrible, same as prequel. Now it looks like Saint Seya even more...   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Dennou Sentai Voogie's★Angel Voogie's Angel 電脳戦隊ヴギィ'ズ★エンジェル [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mecha, Military Action, Drama, Sci-Fi A hundred years after Earth is invaded by aliens, the last remnants of the human race dwell in underwater "Aqua Bases." A team of five cybernetically enhanced women is trained for the purpose of carrying out guerilla attacks against the occupying forces. Earth's last hope for salvation is...Voogie's Angels. Quite generic action story with busty sword android maidens and some flashbacks into their humanity side. Hardly any depth is felt.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Soreyuke! Uchuu Senkan Yamamoto Youko II Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko II それゆけ!宇宙戦艦ヤマモト・ヨーコⅡ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi  There is an ancient legend on a distant planet which states (among other things) that four goddesses will one day descend from the skies and all will be right with the world. Of course meanwhile, Yohko and the rest of the Terra team (with one straggler) have crashed on a backwater world, and they have to figure out a way off before their new charge... gets hungry again! Every so often, a celebration takes place in one of the most beautiful places in the Universe... a cosmic Sakura fest! Since the Terra Team has been doing so well, one of them is invited to join the high command as they meet their opposite numbers from NESS. It's a time of celebration and a time of peace... but it seems that someone didn't get the message. Prequel was totally unserious yet not very funny. In short OVA episodes trend for fanservice, poor humor, randomness, useless competition , discrete subplots has become even stronger, and the result is such that I can't care about it all even in the least.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Princess Rouge プリンセス・ルージュ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Fantasy, Romance  Yusuke, an orphan, literally has Rouge, the amnesiac oldest daughter of the Underworld's deposed royal family, fall out of the sky into his lap. She is soon followed by her two younger sisters and also their family's enemies. Rouge must decide if she wants her memory to return, while Yusuke must deal with the upheavals in his life the Princesses have caused. Reskin of My Goddess without anything memorable and too short to make a stand.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Chou Kousoku Gran Doll Hyper Speed GranDoll 超光速グランドール [Zero-G Room] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mecha, School Action, Comedy Hikaru has always believed herself to be just a normal high school girl...well, as normal as a teenager with a genius mad scientist for a father. She spends her time with her best friend, day dreaming about the boy she loves and watching her favoite super hero show. One day, the past that she has knows nothing about comes back to haunt her. She is shocked to learn that she is the last surviving member of royal line from a far away planet. Even more, she finds out that she has been protecting the ultimate armour and that it can decide the fate of the entire galaxy. Again a strange aimless mashup of elements in a few short OVA episodes. The director of this mess with constantly shifting scenes should be ashamed. When show hurts to watch it, it's not recommended score.   Overall Rating: 4/10   10. Dragoon 竜機伝承  [Magic Bus] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy  In the great Garubado Empire, a lethal weapon is in the process of being manufactured, but is stolen and subsequently lost in battle. Now the Empire is looking for this weapon: a girl that can call forth the "Dragoon" power. She has amnesia and is found by a wandering swordsman in training by who vows to help her find out who she is and why she has such a strange power. A beautiful, logical in narration and easy to watch fantasy OVA is already a treat after all those useless parody shows. Coming from RPG game, story is rather simple and OVA basically ends as soon as full party gathers, so decent is all it can be called.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Shin Shounan Bakusouzoku Arakure Knight 新・湘南爆走族 荒くれKNIGHT [-] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Delinquents Adventure The story is centered around leader of the third generation of Bomber Bikers of Shonan  Not translated. It's of lower visual quality than Shounan Bakusouzoku , but a whole head higher than a typical delinquents anime. The same nice mix of seriousness, coolness and goofiness is present. I don't favor delinquents genre, so I won't be sad if it's never translated, but it feels like a good candidate for translation.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Mononoke Hime Princess Mononoke もののけ姫 [Studio Ghibli] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Adventure, Award Winning, Fantasy When an Emishi village is attacked by a fierce demon boar, the young prince Ashitaka puts his life at stake to defend his tribe. With its dying breath, the beast curses the prince's arm, granting him demonic powers while gradually siphoning his life away. Instructed by the village elders to travel westward for a cure, Ashitaka arrives at Tatara, the Iron Town, where he finds himself embroiled in a fierce conflict: Lady Eboshi of Tatara, promoting constant deforestation, stands against Princess San and the sacred spirits of the forest, who are furious at the destruction brought by the humans. As the opposing forces of nature and mankind begin to clash in a desperate struggle for survival, Ashitaka attempts to seek harmony between the two, all the while battling the latent demon inside of him. Princess Mononoke is a tale depicting the connection of technology and nature, while showing the path to harmony that could be achieved by mutual acceptance. For me it was reinvention of Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä which results in a well done one yet a secondary product. Can't rate it too high since it's not intellectual.   Overall Rating: 8/10   13. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 THE END OF EVANGELION [Gainax, Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Psychological Avant Garde, Drama, Sci-Fi Shinji Ikari is left emotionally comatose after the death of a dear friend. With his son mentally unable to pilot the humanoid robot Evangelion Unit-01, Gendou Ikari's NERV races against the shadow organization SEELE to see who can enact their ultimate plan first. SEELE desires to create a godlike being by fusing their own souls into an Evangelion unit, while Gendou wishes to revert all of humanity into one primordial being so that he can be reunited with Yui, his deceased wife. SEELE unleashes its military forces in a lethal invasion of NERV headquarters. As SEELE's forces cut down NERV's scientists and security personnel, Asuka Langley Souryuu pilots Evangelion Unit-02 in a desperate last stand against SEELE's heaviest weaponry. The battle rages on, and a depressed Shinji hides deep within NERV's headquarters. With the fate of the world resting in Shinji's hands, Captain Misato Katsuragi hunts for the teenage boy as society crumbles around them. Death and Rebirth had a 25-minute preview of The End of Evangelion, so new content starts roughly from 30th minute. I can't praise movie for what the series was as it's very different content. Movie is mostly shocking visuals and action in the first half and at the moment of confrontation flashbacks with dive into psychological traumas begin anew to initiate Rebirth. The more difficult question is what score it deserves. I only slightly enjoyed it. The message is sort of cheesy and includes some exaggerations, but at least it's positive and anti-suicidal. It's a good final point that gives all the answers that I needed - the aftermath of humankind, the aftermath of main characters and the meaning behind creating EVA. So any further works aren't needed and can only move horizontally. Slight enjoyment and satisfactory end can amount to 8.    Overall Rating: 8/10   14. Slayers Great スレーヤーズぐれえと [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Laia Einburg wants for her father Galia, who is a talented golom maker, and her equally ambitious brother Huey to end a long running feud. But her luck changes for the worse when Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent save Laia from a rampaging golem. Full party provides variation while all these stories together with Naga inevitably become manzai duo comedy of some sort.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Jungle Taitei Movie (1997) Jungle Emperor Leo [Tezuka Productions] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy  This movie focuses on the last half of Osamu Tezuka's revered saga of a white lion's quest to become king of the jungle. Leo's newborn cub, Lune, takes an interest to humans after discovering a music box in the wreckage of an airplane. At the same time, a greedy treasure hunter known as Ham Egg is leading an expedition team of rough-looking men on a trek for the fabled Moonlight Stones, which can supposedly save the world from an energy crisis. Two other humans, (who go by the rather wacky names of Dr. Moustache and Lemonade) try to stop Ham Egg's mad destruction of the jungle. Later, a terrible virus sweeps through the jungle, poisoning many of the animals. Dr. Moustache comes to save them with a cure. The film culminates with a treacherous journey up the legendary Mt. Moon in search of the stones.... Osamu Tezuka had a lot of his works censored to become less serious and more childish, so this is just another such attempt to restore initial concept of the work. It's above average in its category of family friendly anime movies, but overall it would be lower.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Cutey Honey Flash: The Movie キューティーハニーＦ（ﾌﾗｯｼｭ） [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Romance  Honey Kisaragi is a perfectly normal beautiful high school student. Until her scientist father is kidnapped by the evil organization Panther Claw, that is. But her father left behind a device she can use to transform into the red-haired sword-wielding heroine Cutey Honey. I expected to see yet another episode, just a longer one, and that's exactly what I got.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Xiao Qian A Chinese Ghost Story チャイニーズゴーストストーリー小倩 [Triangle Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance  A Chinese Ghost Story is a movie that follows a young man named Ning. After the loss of his girlfriend he works as a debt collector to forget his troubles only to encounter more than he had imagined. Accompanied by his constant companion Solid Gold, Ning ends up in a ghost town and from there the adventure ensues. This movie explores some of China`s myths and fantasies as the viewer is taken through a world of drama, romance, and battles between good and evil. A Chinese ghost story musical about national myths with a wide use of dated 3D graphics... very niche.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Chikyuu ga Ugoita Hi 地球が動いた日 [Tama Production] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Drama Tsuyoshi Takahashi, a 6th grader, lived in eastern Kobe with his parents and younger brother. Tsuyoshi was very ambitious and hoped to enter a prestigious private school, so his days were filled with study. Whenever asked by anyone for a favor, Tsuyoshi resented having to give up his free time. In the early morning hours of January 17, 1995, a massive earthquake rocked Kobe City. Tsuyoshi and his family managed to escape from their shattered home and evacuated to his school. The problems of communal living and rationing, as well as the selfless example of the many volunteers, are lessons the children are soon to learn. This anime tries to reconstruct some of Barefoot Gen scenes applying to Kobe 1995 this time, but the natures of disasters are very different. An above average and truthful movie about disaster, but if fails to catch my interest.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Bakumatsu no Spasibo 幕末のスパシーボ [Magic Bus] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical  Based on the real life events around Yevfimy Vasilyevich Putyatin, a Russian admiral noted for his diplomatic missions to Japan and China, and the signing of the Treaty of Shimoda in 1855. And what's even interesting in that "story"... just pointless.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  3. 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
  4. kivandopulus

    Anime of the Year 1997-I Winter - Eat-Man

    By kivandopulus,


    Anime of the Year
    Among the decent works, Eat-Man probably deserves more praise than the others for novely approach   1. Yuusha-Ou GaoGaiGar King of Braves GaoGaiGar 勇者王ガオガイガー [Sunrise] (Finished 3/49) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi In the year 2005, a race of alien monsters called Zonders emerge from underground and launch a series of attacks on the city of Tokyo. The only defense against these creatures is the secret agency known as the Gutsy Geoid Guard (or 3G) and their ultimate weapon, the awesome giant robot GaoGaiGar. GaoGaiGar's pilot, Guy Shishio, is a former astronaut who was nearly killed two years before when the Zonders first crashed to earth. Guy's life was spared when a mysterious robot lion called Galeon pulled him from the burning shuttle and brought him to Earth. Guy's father, Leo, then used Galeon's technology to rebuild his shattered son as a cyborg, in the hopes that he could stop the aliens when they appear. Now, with Galeon as its core, GaoGaiGar fights to protect Earth. He is aided by a team of transforming robots and by a young boy named Mamoru, who has the power to purify the Zonders' cores, and seems to be connected to the mysterious Galeon. New Sunrise mecha is imitation of Tarzan. Cringe is on unrealistically high level, so kids only.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Eat-Man イートマン [Studio Deen] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Shounen Super Power Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Meet Bolt Crank, mercenary extraordinaire, and the man who eats metal! Through his travels, he stops along the way to make a few bucks and occasionally rescue damsels in distress. His taste for metal gives him quite an edge as he becomes capable of generating an assortment of weapons from his hand! It's a strange ability, but it seems to come in handy, so to speak. Bolt has an edge over his adversaries, but will that be enough? Now I know where Hellsing character designs come from. Had to watch it all in hope that it would contain at least some decent stories or maybe the ending. As expected, the more interesting stuff got pressed to the ending. The general concept is of unusual traveler who sometimes helps to find something and sometimes just listens with some resolution. Due to episodic character of narration, it's not really interesting. A more coherent story would be welcome.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Cutey Honey F キューティーハニーＦ [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Shoujo Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi On her sixteenth birthday, Honey Kisaragi goes to meet her father. However, he shows up injured and on the run. Out of nowhere, a group of thugs and a monster show up. A detective, Seiji Hayama, rescues Honey and her father. Unfortunately, the monster captures Honey`s father. A grieving Honey goes home to find it in ruins, but a handsome man gives her hope and a device to use against the monsters who took her father. With them, Honey can transform into multiple forms and destroy Panther Zora, the evil behind this. From what I see it's a rather faithful remake, at least concerning plot or characters. It's closer to magical girl shows as it has small amounts of fanservice.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Mach GoGoGo (1997) Speed Racer X マッハGoGoGo [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 3/34) Tags: Racing Adventure The Mach is a racing car loaded with a new engine "X" specially developed and built by a man named Kenich Hibiki who was a racing driver as well as a motor engineer. However, in a test driving made prior to its completion, he was involved in an accident and judged as dead. Meanwhile his father Daisuke who was watching the test driving all the way recovered the wrecked car as his son`s memento. A few years later the damaged car rebuilt by him revives as the new Mach which comes to participate in Grand Prix. This time, however, for the purpose to protect the driver from a possible accident, the new car is equipped with a safety system called "Safety Seven" with seven guarding devices. Also, it is loaded with the engine "X" that miraculously survived the tragic accident. Now its driver is Go, younger brother of Kenichi, who is determined to succeed to his brother`s will. In fact, he successfully participates in Grand Prix and keeps growing up to be a top racer of the world. Why not remake a racing series from 1967? Worst idea ever.   Overall Rating: 4/10   5. Shin Kidou Senki Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz 新機動戦記ガンダムW エンドレス・ワルツ [Sunrise] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi In the year After Colony 196, one year after the conclusion of the intergalactic civil war, a state of stasis prevails over the Earth and its colonies. Seeing no further use for their Gundam mobile suits, war heroes Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton, and Quatre Raberba Winner decide to destroy these weapons by launching them into the sun's surface. Before the Gundam reach their destination, the universal peace is shattered by the emergence of Mariemaia Khushrenada—the only child of the former tyrannical aristocrat Treize. Mariemaia abducts diplomat Relena Peacecraft and announces plans to launch "Operation Meteor," with the intention of posthumously fulfilling Treize's world domination plot. With the help of former enemy Zechs Marquise and his mobile suit Tallgeese, the heroic pilots must reacquire their mobile suits to wage one final battle against the Khushrenada dynasty, including fighting against their former ally Wufei Chang, now aligning himself with Mariemaia's ambitions. Animation is definitely better than in the series and characters are given some story with reasoning deriving from it. Not that it helps...   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Vampire Hunter Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge ヴァンパイアハンター [Madhouse] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Vampire Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Supernatural The world is a dark, brooding place populated by humans, but ruled in reality by powerful beings known as the Darkstalkers, and there is constant conflict between them as they try to determine who is the most powerful of them all. Zombies, vampires, werewolves - all of them compete in contests of strength and sheer will to attain their own personal goals. All of this becomes moot when a race of Aztec robots called the Huitzil decide that humanity isn't worth saving, and start waging war on the world, while in the sky, a solar god from outer space plots the conquest of Earth. And the Darkstalkers must become unwilling allies in order to save the world. As for me, the main problem here that there are over a dozen of characters in focus and vampire hunter is just one of them having some 5% of screen time. And in the end with all those side-characters end up useless as main story does not use them. Last episode finally has action, but first three could be cut to 1, because for three hours pace is too loose. Still better than all other fighting games adaptations.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. El Hazard 2: The Magnificent World 神秘の世界 エルハザード 第2期 [AIC] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Isekai Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Continuing the from OVAs; When Fujisawa, suffering from cold feet, leaves Miz at the altar, an enraged Priestess drafts Makoto and friends to go find him. In the couse of locating the hapless (and gutless) teacher, they find another Ifurita. Meanwhile Jinnai and Diva searching for a new Bugrom homeland stumble upon another yet another Demon God, the impish Kalia. However, unlike Ifurita she has a mind, and a mission, of her own... It's more of a spin-off about characters and comedy interaction with them , so not for everyone.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Jungle de Ikou! ジャングルDEいこう! [Studio Fantasia, Chaos Project] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Action, Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi After meeting a dancing old man in what she thinks is just a crazy dream, a preteen schoolgirl embarks on a series of fanservice-filled magical girl adventures with a little creature named Ongo who might be evil and a shy girl with mysterious powers named Nami. It's supposed to be ecchi comedy about jungle girl in Tokyo, but in fact it's just fanservice something as comedy is so very weak.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Hen Strange Love 変 [Group TAC] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Comedy, Girls Love, Ecchi  Yoshida Chizuru is the sexiest co-ed in her class. Secretly, she's been appearing in TV commercials—despite the fact that students are forbidden from working. But one of her professors has uncovered her secret and hopes to use this information to his advantage. Yoshida's got plans of her own, and has no intention of giving up her acting career... It's ecchi all right, but story itself is rather disgusting and there's hardly any comedy at all, so can't recommend.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Ayane-chan High Kick! Ayane's High Kick 綾音ちゃんハイキック! [Rikuentai] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Sports Meet Ayane Mitsui: a full-time high school student and part-time hand-to-hand combat specialist! Exams are forgotten and homework is neglected as she pursues her life-long dream of becoming a pro-wrestling champion. Ayane has what it takes - skill, determination, and a lethal "high-kick" - even a cool wrestling mask! But who will guide her to the top? Enter Kunimitsu Tangay: a veteran trainer who is prepared to mold young Ayane into a championship caliber fighter. But his rigorous regimen isn't preparing her for wrestling... but for kickboxing instead! Feeling betrayed, Ayane is furious when Kunimitsu enters in a kickboxing tournament. But Ayane's school ABSOLUTELY FORBIDS such violent extracurricular activities. What will she do when Sakurako Miyagawa, the top contender of the All Japan Kickboxing League, challenges her to a duel? Will she be able to high-kick her way to victory - or will she get kicked out of school? Full length is less than an hour, and that's not enough for spokon, over the present time was pretty generic.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Choujuu Densetsu Gestalt Gestalt 超獣伝説ゲシュタルト [TV Tokyo] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  The story circulates around a mysterious and dangerous island referred to simply as "G". A long time ago, a powerful god named Gestalt was banished to the earth and he had found refuge in the island known as G. To utter the name for which it stands is forbidden, for people were so afraid of the wrath of the god that they considered his name a curse. Father Oliver is a priest who has left his order and traveled to the island of G in order to discover the truth behind it. He ends up making the acquaintance of a young girl named Ohri, who turns out to be quite adept in magic. Meanwhile, the head of the order has hired a dark elf named, Suzu, to track down Oliver and bring him back. Suzu finds him easily enough. However, she hadn't anticipated the powerful sorceress in his company, Ohri. The girl disposes of Suzu for the moment, and she and the Father continue on. As if things weren't rough enough, the island of G has it's share of monsters and magic-users to get in the way of their travels. It's a mess as it starts midway of bigger story and ends same abruptly. Generic fantasy anime without interesting plot to follow.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Kishin Douji Zenki Gaiden: Anki Kitan 鬼神童子ＺＥＮＫＩ外伝　黯鬼奇譚  [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Mythology Action, Supernatural In Kanoesaru village every 60 years mysterious murders happen. Every time seven 17 year old girls are killed. The villagers believe it is the work of a demon who once saved the village so they keep quiet about it. However the current head of the Ibuki family calls an exorcist to save her 2 daughters. What is the truth behind the murders in Kanoesaru village? So many still shots are used that it's rather painful to watch. Action is still better than in random Zenki episode, and it's over in less than half an hour, anyway, so can rate it above average.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Kyokujitsu no Kantai The Fleet of the Rising Sun 旭日の艦隊 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/15) Tags: Historical, Military Action, Drama In Kyokujitsu no Kantai, Japan builds up on its success in the earlier series by expanding its blue-water capabilities to reach the Atlantic Ocean, challenging the Kriegsmarine in the process. Nazi Germany also launches a surgical strike on the White House and the Japanese fleet repels a German invasion of Britain. Not translated. Konpeki no Kantai was a bore, so it's only natural that this one is a bore as well.   Overall Rating: 4/10   14. Shinkai no Kantai: Submarine 707 深海の艦隊 サブマリン707 [Knack Productions] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Military Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi A mysterious object attacks and destroys any ship or submarine. Submarine 707 has the mission to search for that mysterious object, when summoned by a whale to follow it. The whale leads them to the world of Mu. But on their way they meet the mysterious object. They find out , it is Commander Red Silver, who had attacked the world of Mu to get Mu's magma sources. Submarine takes up the battle to defeat Red Silver and save Mu, and the world for that matter. Finally a coherent, short and articulate story with fantasy elements on a military submarine - it's a big step for the stale genre, it's the closest work so far to Zipang which I consider paragon for navy military anime.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Rouge: Lady's Comic Video ルージュ レディースコミックビデオ [-] (Finished 0/2) Tags: Drama, Romance  Bereaved strangers lose themselves in a sordid double life of prostitution but find love with each other. A loveless marriage blossoms through bondage. A trainee gets more than she bargained for when the head nurse takes the biology lesson to the limit. And a male beautician uses unorthodox methods to put color in a makeup artist's cheeks. Four erotically charged tales animated for a female audience, based on stories originally printed in the manga magazine Rouge. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   16. Kougyou Aika Volley Boys 工業哀歌バレーボーイズ  [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Seinen School Comedy In a mix of Field of Dreams and Ping Pong Club, sex-starved teenage boys at Kudo High School sign up for the girls' volleyball team hoping that if they build it, the girls will come, to a year that has no girls in it at all. Not translated. Guys build club building, manage to lure some girls to train in sports and after failures try to look decent and go on a date - and fail again. Nothing out of expectations.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 シト新生 [Gainax, Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Psychological Drama, Sci-Fi In the year 2015, more than a decade has passed since the catastrophic event known as Second Impact befell mankind. During this time of recovery, a select few learned of beings known as the Angels—colossal malevolent entities with the intention of triggering the Third Impact and wiping out the rest of humanity. Called into the city of Tokyo-3 by his father Gendou Ikari, teenager Shinji is thrust headlong into humanity's struggle. Separated from Gendou since the death of his mother, Shinji presumes that his father wishes to repair their shattered familial bonds; instead, he discovers that he was brought to pilot a giant machine capable of fighting the Angels, Evangelion Unit-01. Forced to battle against wave after wave of mankind's greatest threat, the young boy finds himself caught in the middle of a plan that could affect the future of humanity forever. Death recap was useless to me and even painful. Out of 100 minutes death takes as many as 72 and rebirth only 25, plus ends with something like a cliffhanger. So with the End of Evangelion movie out, this one is a complete waste of time unless you require recap of the series.   Overall Rating: 4/10   18. Flanders no Inu (Movie) The Dog of Flanders フランダースの犬 (1997) [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical, Pets, Visual Arts Drama Nello Daas is a gifted artist residing in a village on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium. He earns a living by selling milk in a market in the middle of the city alongside his ailing grandfather. His best friend, Alois Cogez, is the daughter of his callous landlord, who believes that Nello is corrupting his daughter and unbefitting her class. Angered by Alois' closeness to a peasant, her father sends her away to a school in Antwerp to prevent them from meeting again. While continuing his daily market runs, Nello stumbles upon an art contest surrounding the famous Peter Paul Rubens—a Flemish artist he holds in high regard. Not only does the contest offer a monetary prize, but it also comes with the opportunity to study art at a school in the same city Alois is studying. Now with a goal in mind, Nello begins to brainstorm the perfect piece, but a series of adversities threatens to end his dreams prematurely. Yet, through thick and thin, is his loyal dog, Patrasche, whom he saved from the brink of death at the hands of a cruel owner. As Nello endures through various hardships, Patrasche supports him throughout them. Flanders no Inu is a reimagined film that captures the classic story between an innocent boy and his faithful canine best friend as they traverse together until the bitter end. Childish, simple, using cheap tearjerkers, but guess those are effective if everyone likes it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Hana yori Dango (Movie) Hana Yori Dango The Movie 花より男子 [Discotek Media] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Performing Arts Drama, Romance Set in an alternative timeline to the TV series and manga, the movie features a classic Cinderella story told through the medium of 80's dance. Tsukushi Makino is a trainee dancer in a New York Performance group, struggling to become the star of the show with the help of Rui Hanazawa and Tsukasa Doumyouji. I'd watch a recap with more enjoyment. Now it's just a 30 minute otome musical with needless copypaste of traits from Cinderella.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Kikansha Sensei 機関車先生 [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: School Comedy, Slice of Life The story depicts the interaction of the children of the island and their teacher, Yoshioka Makotoware who is unable to speak because of a childhood accident. A movie based on the best-selling novel by Shizuka Ijuin. Not translated. A teacher who needs to write everything on a blackboard is not a wise idea if it's not the only option, trying to teach children sign language is not really a great idea as well... Animation and character designs are fine, so it's definitely watchable, although 100 minutes seems to be overkill for this kind of story.   Overall Rating: 6/10
  5. 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.  
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. kivandopulus
    No definite winner for me , but among decent titles I can point out Kodomo no Omocha (TV)    1. Tenkuu no Escaflowne The Vision of Escaflowne 天空のエスカフローネ [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Isekai, Love Polygon, Mecha, Psychological Adventure, Fantasy, Romance Hitomi Kanzaki is just an ordinary 15-year-old schoolgirl with an interest in tarot cards and fortune telling, but one night, a boy named Van Fanel suddenly appears from the sky along with a vicious dragon. Thanks to a premonition from Hitomi, Van successfully kills the dragon, but a pillar of light appears and envelopes them both. As a result, Hitomi finds herself transported to the world of Gaea, a mysterious land where the Earth hangs in the sky. In this new land, Hitomi soon discovers that Van is a prince of the Kingdom of Fanelia, which soon falls under attack by the evil empire of Zaibach. In an attempt to fight them off, Van boards his family's ancient guymelef Escaflowne—a mechanized battle suit—but fails to defeat them, and Fanelia ends up destroyed. Now on the run, Hitomi and Van encounter a handsome Asturian knight named Allen Schezar, whom Hitomi is shocked to find looks exactly like her crush from Earth. With some new allies on their side, Van and Hitomi fight back against the forces of Zaibach as the empire strives to revive an ancient power. Mecha from Sunrise is doomed from the start. And the way they treat my favorite isekai genre is purely outrageous. One important tag is missing here - shoujo as Sunrise tries to bring some new elements trying to sell the same mecha each time.   Overall Rating: 4/10   2. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars Sailor Moon Sailor Stars 美少女戦士セーラームーン セーラースターズ [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/34) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Like the R Season, Sailor Stars is divided into two arcs: The first arc (also filler) solves some conflicts from the SuperS season, and also sees the return of the Outer Senshi, Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru (now reborn as a child). The second arc is the actual plot from the manga. Usagi bids farewell to Mamoru, who is going to America to study abroad. In his place comes the Three Lights, an idol trio consisting of three boys, Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten. The new enemy is Galaxia, a woman who desires to rule the entire galaxy by collecting the Star Seeds of humans. Three new Senshi appear, the Sailor Starlights, who also intend to stop Galaxia without Sailor Moon's help. Don't know what to say. I think I see Sailor Pluto for the first time, but concept is still the same with more focus on chibi girl.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Slayers Next スレイヤーズNEXT [E&G Films] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mythology Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy In the kingdom of Xoana, Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev unexpectedly come across their old companions, Zelgadis Graywords and Princess Ameilia Wil Tesla Saillune. Upon their reunion, the friends end up easily foiling the King of Xoana and his daughter's dastardly plans of world conquest. Soon after, it is revealed that Zelgadis is in search of the world's most valuable magical tome, the Claire Bible, hoping to discover a method to recover his human body among the many secrets sheltered within it. Despite his protests, the rest of the group decides to join in the quest after hearing of his mission. However, just when they were wondering where to start looking for the legendary book, they stumble upon a mysterious priest by the name of Xellos, who claims that he may be of some help in their pursuit. I'm not impressed, same as with original.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Kodomo no Omocha (TV) Kodocha こどものおもちゃ [Gallop] (Finished 8/102) Tags: Shoujo Love Polygon, Showbiz Comedy, Drama, Romance Sixth grader Sana Kurata has a perfect life. Her mother is a (fairly) successful author, she has a young man employed to keep her happy and safe, and best of all, she is the star of the children's television show Kodomo no Omocha. There's just one thing bothering her, and that's Akito Hayama. Akito is a classmate of Sana's, and ever since he's started acting out in class, the rest of the boys have followed his example. Every day, the girls and the teacher wage a battle to keep the class under control and to get some actual learning done. That rotten Akito… Sana won't stand for this! The hyperactive Sana decides to dig deeper and find out what makes Akito tick, so class can go back to normal and the teacher can stop spending every day crying instead of teaching. But the more she learns about him, the more she realizes that there might be more to Akito than meets the eye. Introduction takes two episode, plus concept develops slowly, so it took me a while to get understanding what this show is in the core, and it's roughly reverse Orange Road. Since protagonist is a girl, a lot more emotional reactions towards everything is inserted. There is enough humor, but half of it is spontaneous singing/dancing/acting weird and the other half is occasional, usually something unexpected showing up in the scene. And since it's Orange Road vis-à-vis, there are two families, one weird but friendly and one with much drama in it - and a lot of focus is on those members. In the end, it's a nice emotional romance comedy, but for me it lacks seriousness. I see a lot of moves to attract viewers, but all this appeal to emotions is distant to me, and referring to suicide even jokingly is just horrible.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Kidou Shinseiki Gundam X After War Gundam X 機動新世紀ガンダムX [Sunrise] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Mecha, Space Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi When one space colony declared its independence from the Earth Federation, the devastating 7th Space War, an all-out war between Earth and space, resulted. The Federation responded to the Space Revolutionary Army with mobile suits, called Gundams. However, the Space Revolutionary forces played their trump card and dropped hundreds of space colonies onto the Earth, plunging the planet into a seven-year-long nuclear winter. The Federation collapsed, but the Space Revolutionary Army was unable to invade the Earth in the aftermath of the colony drop. Fifteen years have passed. The year is now After War 0015, and a New Federation has sprung up on Earth to restore order. In space, the colonial leaders have been rebuilding their own forces as well. By chance, fifteen-year-old Garrod Ran has discovered an old Federation mobile suit, the Gundam X, and now he uses it to help out the Vulture ship Freeden in its struggle to keep the powers that be from repeating the mistakes of the past. Finally a Gundam with a modern shounen look. I see it at as above average among mecha for really advanced quality. But don't get me wrong, among all anime it would be average score as there is not enough seriousness or character development behind it all. Romance is shallow, no really likeable characters, no incentive to investigate the world. With the set boundaries of Gundam no breakthrough like Gurren Lagann is possible, but it does not even live up to the original Macross that remains the paragon for old mecha .   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Jigoku Sensei Nube 地獄先生ぬ～べ～ [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/49) Tags: Shounen School Adventure, Comedy, Horror, Romance, Supernatural Nube is a clumsy, easygoing, and very kind teacher, but he has a secret under his glove on the left hand. He has a monster hand, and he also has the ability to sense ghosts and evil spirits. So he protects his dear students from these evil spirits with his monster hand, proving to be very powerful. This show is not bad itself, but combines a lot of features that I detest like monster of the week, evil spirit, exorcism, body horror. Characters might save it, but they aren't particularly good either. Just above average is the exact place this anime belongs to.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. B'T X B`T X　ビート・エックス  [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Shounen Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi Teppei is going to visit his older brother Kotaro Takamiya during a scientific conference after training with a mysterious woman named Karen for the past 11 years. However his plans for a family reunion become stalled when a woman named Aramis kills everyone in the conference to kidnap Kotaro. Teppei on the way to save his brother encounters a broken mechanical horse called B't X who revives thanks to Teppei's blood and is now his aide to save his brother from the mysterious Machine Empire. Saint Seiya is one of my most hated series ever as brainless shounen with a setting instead of the story, and B'T X from the same mangaka does not impress either. Now setting changes from Greek gods zodiac knights to androids and there's a bit more focus on familial bonds and oriental motives, but the core of brainless shounen remains intact.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Kaiketsu Zorro The Magnificent Zorro 快傑ゾロ [Ashi Productions] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shounen Historical Adventure Diego Vega returns from his study trip to discover his homeland is under the army's dictatorship. Diego, refusing to watch idly, disguises himself as Zorro to protect the weak and oppressed. Diego is not a coward but he is unable to win the affections of his sweetheart, Lolita, who is attracted to other more noble men. Diego serenades Lolita as Zorro and fights the evils of his homeland, hoping to capture her heart. Official dub, export to many countries... all the signs of safe for children boring episodical stuff that is useless to watch if you ever watched anything Zorro.   Overall Rating: 4/10   9. Cinderella Monogatari The Story of Cinderella シンデレラ物語 [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance Cinderella is the daughter of a wealthy duke who has remarried to provide her with a mother and sisters. When the Duke travels abroad, Cinderella discovers that her new family is anything but a family. With spoiled stepsisters and a harsh stepmother, Cindrella is forced to cook, clean and manage the household. Yet she remains cheerful, gentle and kind to her family, to her animal friends and to a mysterious boy, named Charles, who seems to have a connection with the prince of Emerald Castle. A whole new story on a classic fairytale. When Cinderella's cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from the lovable mice Gus and Jaq, and from her Fairy Godmother. There was already serialization of Snow White and sever dwarves, so this move is a logical continuation. It's nice romance on the motive of the fairy tale, but I can't stand parasiting over known franchises and clinging to the past while there's a whole world of possibilities ahead.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Mizuiro Jidai 水色時代 [Studio Comet] (Finished 3/47) Tags: Shoujo School Drama, Romance, Slice of Life Yuuko is a shy middle school girl who has feelings for her childhood friend, the boy next door. When she finds out that her best friend also likes him, she is unsure what to do. The story explores the relationships between these three characters as they confront everyday junior high problems. Actually, I feel there was a lack of just romance SOL anime without focus on sports or comedy or delinquents or something else that would steal all the attention. This anime fits this niche just fine. Love triangle is almost a necessity for romance stories. It's kinda cute how friends and love rivals exchange diaries and information. Sincerity is also important, but first lie strikes as soon as second episode already and lots of pointless drama grows from that. I require more seriousness and psychological development to qualify for a masterpiece... not sure if there is such romance work until His and Her circumstances, though ...   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. VS Knight Lamune & 40 Fire VS騎士ラムネ&40炎  [Production Reed] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha Action, Comedy, Fantasy Baba Lamunade is followed home by two strange peddler girls who give him a CD-rom game. After he beats "The Legend of Lamuness", the girls come out of his computer and bring him to DokiDoki Space. He is the third descendant of the hero Lamuness who must stop Don Genosai from resurrecting the great evil Abraham. Accompanied by PQ, his advisor robot, and Parfait and Cacao, he must pilot the Kaizer Fire mecha. However, he needs another pilot, and Da Cider is chosen as the second pilot. It's fourth season already, so enough to say fans only here. As for me, one of the worst mecha series .   Overall Rating: 4/10   12. Midori no Makibao Green Makibao みどりのマキバオー  [Pierrot] (Finished 3/61) Tags: Shounen Racing Comedy  Midori Makibao is a small white racehorse. Compared to other thoroughbred horses, he looks more like a donkey with wide nostrils; however, with his guts and speed as his weapon, Makibao wins in every big race. In the beginning of his career, Makibao had a trouble making his debut as a racehorse, because of his appearance and various disadvantages he had. But Makibao had reasons to overcome his difficulties; there was a lifelong rival horse called Superhorse Cascade, that Makibao needed to defeat. Plus, he was determined to win back his mother, a horse that had been taken away for pay back the debt on the farm. There are many hardships that Makibao has to overcome, but he thrives in the series of races to become a great racehorse. Not translated. Absurd sketches around racing and some crudely drawn characters is not the most amusing thing to watch. Humor is mostly based on antics , so just not my type.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Hajime Ningen Gon はじめ人間ゴン [Pierrot] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Historical Comedy A remake of Hajime Ningen Gyatoruz. Each episode contains three stories. Not translated. Can't see much difference with not so amusing original, to be honest.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Shounen Santa no Daibouken! 少年サンタの大冒険！ [Studio Deen] (Finished 0/24) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Fantasy Based on L. Frank Baum' novel: The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   15. Ijiwaru Baasan (1996) いじわるばあさん [Eiken] (Finished 0/46) Tags: Comedy, Slice of Life  Grandma is a nasty and manipulative thing most of the time, causing endless trouble for her son-in-law and daughter, her grandchildren, and her neighbours. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   16. Shamanic Princess シャーマニックプリンセス [Triangle Staff] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Action, Fantasy, Romance  From the Guardian World, home of mages, Tiara has been sent on a mission: recover the stolen Throne of Yord, the most powerful magic artifact of all. But Tiara finds herself in a dilemma—the Throne has been taken by her former lover, and there is more to the situation than meets the eye... Annoying dull characters, unusual yet unimpressive story, irritating constant close shooting angles, all character development is pushed AFTER the story in flashback episodes. So messy that it hurts.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Shin Kidou Senki Gundam Wing: Operation Meteor 新機動戦記ガンダムＷ オペレーション・メテオ ODD＆EVEN NUMBERS [Sunrise] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Mecha, Military, Psychological, Space Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi Two video releases recapping events from the Gundam Wing TV series. Each Operation Meteor video contains an 'Odd' episode and an 'Even' episode. The 'Odd' episodes feature Heero, Trowa and Wufei, while the 'Even' episodes feature Duo and Quatre. The episodes also featured brief new footages of the characters after the final episode of the TV series. I like such recaps since watching full series with this kind of quality is akin to torture. Cheap drama emotions, unstable personalities, lack of consistency and logic - all main Gundam traits are present. Without anything deep enough viewers are just stormed with quantity as many protagonists show up each with individual story of varying stupidity. Pompous empty dialogues are a whole new level of cringe. And basically the same story is told multiple times from different perspectives... very tiresome. Sunrise sucks at making recaps, as usual.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Burn Up! W Burn-Up W: On the Case & In your Face  バーンナップW [AIC] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Mecha Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi When crime and terrorism go out of control in Tokyo, the police unleash Team Warrior - a band of highly-skilled and completely reckless band of female cops. Featuring loose cannon Rio, triggerhappy Maya and ace hacker Lilica, Team Warrior will get the job done, regardless of the budget of the mission. It's primarily ecchi and fanservice with some joking police action for the first half. Second half puts it all done to the Earth with a bloody case, but results to absolutely nothing big with each heroine having an individual fight, and that's it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Mahoutsukai Tai! Magic User's Club OVA 魔法使いTai!  [Triangle Staff] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi  One sunny day invaders came from space. They weren't little green men or funny girls wearing school uniforms, though. They were ugly robots which defeated the UN forces in seconds. After that the invaders (known as "eyeballs") roamed around and observed human society. In fact, they were peaceful unless attacked. They were polite and followed all the traffic laws, too. Still, they were aliens and the people of Earth wanted them to go home. The Kitanohashi High School Magic Club took it on themselves to defeat these foul robots and free the world. Setting is very unusual, magic provides some unexpected gags, pervy nature of male protagonist is kind of fun. A fresh gust of wind among comedies. For me it's better than majority of school anime with magic like Negima.   Overall Rating: 6/10   20. Sanctuary サンクチュアリ [Pastel] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Detective, Organized Crime Action, Drama, Suspense Two Japanese survivors of the Khmer Rouge massacres in Cambodia vow to find a sanctuary, even if they have to build it themselves. Returning to Japan, they take seemingly opposite paths: one becomes a politician, the other a gangster. As Asami and Houjou work through the linked worlds of politics and crime in modern Japan, they don't hesitate to do anything necessary to secure their own positions and stay true to their vow. Loyal to no one else, they find their friendship increasingly tested as they rise in their chosen fields. Nice gangster movie that has all the looks and expected moves, but lacks in the actual depth and realism. Cool yakuza do dangerous things in a fashionable manner and never get any kind of payback for it , so anime is empty in the core.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Toushinden 闘神伝  [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Martial Arts Action For one year, Master Swordsman Eiji Shinjo has been haunted by the memory of his battle with the renegade champion, Gaia - a battle that was cut short by the forces of the malevolent syndicate known as "the organization." Denied victory, Eiji left the tournament followed by his opponents mocking laughter. Worse still, Eiji walked away no closer to finding his long lost brother, Sho. But now, a mysterious warrior is hunting down the champions of the previous tournament and using their own moves against them - and it looks like that person may be Sho. Who is this powerful new foe and who is his next target? Eiji and Kayin, his closest friend and greatest rival, struggle to unravel the mystery before they, too, join the ranks of the defeated. The answer lies at the heart of the Organization and its plans for world domination. At last, the ultimate battle between the greatest fighters in the world will be decided. But if Eiji loses, his friends - Ellis - may Die... Fighting game adaptations rarely put an effort into the story. This one definitely does not.   Overall Rating: 4/10   22. Ojousama Sousamou Debutante Detective Corps お嬢様捜査網 [Daume] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Detective Action, Comedy, Mystery Debutante Detective Corps begins with introductions to the five main characters, Miyuki, Reika, Youko, Nina, and Kimiko. It seems these five girls are incredibly rich and have been sent a threatening video tape by forces unknown. A police guard is set up at the school where the girls have enrolled. Kimiko, however, doesn't like the idea of being cooped up at school, and convinces the rest of the girls to trick the police into leaving. No sooner are the police gone, however, then the girls are assaulted by three armed terrorists. What ensues is a rather silly escapade with our heroines attempting to thwart their attackers. Fast-paced introduction and some action with something that tries to resemble humor, and it's all over in 30 minutes, so a waste of time.   Overall Rating: 4/10   23. Tattoon Master タトゥーン・マスター  [AIC] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Slice of Life, Supernatural When Hibio's adventurer mother sets off to research a mysterious tribe, she hits a wall. Fortunately for her, the beautiful young Nima sees a family portrait and decides that she wants her son for her husband and she gets a chance to further her research. She agrees to the arrangement. Of course, she doesn't consult him about his future bride. When Nima shows up in Tokyo to be with her new husband, hilarity and chaos ensues as Hibio and his modern Tokyo background meets Nima's magical heritage. It's a common plot that girls who is in love with protagonist suddenly shows up and rivals some other girls. Just commonplace average forgettable anime.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Mutant Turtles: Choujin Densetsu-hen ミュータント タートルズ 超人伝説編 [Bee Media] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Super Power Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles acquire Mutastones from Crys-Mu, the spirit of light, they acquire the ability to enhance themselves into Super Turtles for a duration of three minutes. Meanwhile, the evil Shredder and his minions Bebop and Rocksteady stumble upon the Dark Mutastone, which transforms them into Devil Shredder, Supermutant Bebop and Supermutant Rocksteady, respectively. But the Turtles have one more trick up their shells: all four of them can combine into their ultimate form—Turtle Saint. Breaks so many TNMT canons that it can't be considered part of TNMT, tbh. Super mutations are god ugly, saint mutation is one big Gundam parody and metal mutations look like another homage either to transformers or Tokyo Babel. Anyway, pretty horrible.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. Blue Seed 1.5 ブルーシード 1.5 [Production I.G] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi  This is a re-telling of the first series. one episode is seen through the view of Momiji, the other is seen through the view of Kusunagi. Not translated for general public. But since it's just retelling with some music kind of useless if you watched the series.   Overall Rating: 5/10   26. Landlock ランドロック [Sanctuary] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi The land of Zer’lue is in turmoil, ravaged by the technological might of Chairman Sana'ku and his evil, militaristic Zul’earth forces. In a rapidly unfolding story of treachery, deceit and betrayal, only one boy holds the power to defeat such overwhelming odds... a boy named Lue'der, who possesses a mysterious red eye and the ability to control the power of the wind itself. With the fate of the world at stake, Lue'der must learn to unlock his legendary power and battle against the evil which threatens to engulf his planet. Somehow this fantasy action manages to bore very fast. Plot is very simple, but the whole intrigue is just about parts that we're not told about. Characters are bland. Action scenes in the middle hardly help anything, and ending is just unimpressive without proper buildup.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Idol Fight Suchie-Pai 2 Idol Fighter Su-Chi-Pai アイドルファイト　スーチーパイ２ [Daume] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Ecchi Once every century, the legendary mahjong dials called the "Legendary Pai" show themselves to the world, and if you collect them all it will grant you any wish. They show up in the form of evil monsters and you must defeat all 10 to obtain this chance. So, a Bunny Alien, A Maid-Dominatrix, A Cyborg, A girl form the world of magic and a transforming super hero all must fight these monsters along with themselves to grant the wish that they want to come true. It's hard to expect much from ecchi anime based on ancient strip mahjong game without any plot. Someone fights, someone transforms, someone pretends to strip but constantly stops midway and all for collecting mahjong cards which we won't even learn till the end. Plain horrible.   Overall Rating: 4/10   28. Bounty Hunter: The Hard ザ・ハード BOUNTY HUNTER [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Detective Action The story of "Hard", a bounty hunter living in New-York and seeking revenge. Riki-Oh author means we're in for a MANLY story. Every male character here is hard-boiled just as the title. First half is discovering some murders, the some action. Short and rather stupid.   Overall Rating: 5/10   29. Toppuku Kyousou Kyoku 特攻服(とっぷく) 狂走曲 [-] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Comedy Based on the shounen manga by Yuu Furusawa. A typical delinquents movie with H, fighting and antics in place of the comedy. Instantly forgettable.   Overall Rating: 5/10   30. Tenchi Muyou! in Love Tenchi Muyo! In Love 天地無用! in Love  [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen School, Space Action, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi In a dark corner of the universe, intergalactic criminal Kain breaks out of prison and destroys the Galaxy Police Headquarters. Basking in the afterglow of the terror and destruction he has caused, Kain sets his sights toward a much bigger prize waiting on Earth. Meanwhile, Tenchi Masaki and his crew are watching some old home videos of his mother, Achika. As the film rolls, Achika slowly starts to vanish. While watching her fade away, Tenchi also begins to disappear. However, thanks to a device created by Washuu Hakubi, Tenchi is not gone for good. The gang soon learns about Kain and deduce that he must have done something to Achika, which has resulted in time being altered. To save himself and maintain the future, Tenchi travels with the girls back in time to protect his mother from her fate. Time shifts and alterations are either done well or poorly, and this is the second case. Because of this nothing makes sense and irritation piles up with every minute. Thus only for Tenchi fans.   Overall Rating: 5/10   31. Armitage III: Poly-Matrix アミテージ・ザ・サード POLY-MATRIX  [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi Detective, Mecha, Military In the year 2046 humans are moving away from using robots and begin to trust them less and less. In this time life becomes very perilous for the beings known as seconds. The seconds are the most recent line of robots, as far as the public knows. This is the world Detective Ross Sylibus lives in. Detective Sylibus is transferred to Mars by his request after his partner was killed by a robot. As he arrives he falls headfirst into a murder where a country singer on his flight was murdered. He steps off the plane and watches as a scene unfolds and he meets his partner, Armitage a female cop with a major attitude. A rash of murders begins when yet more women are killed. As the investigation is continued a secret is uncovered. There is another line of robots known as Thirds. More and more Thirds turn up missing, as a serial killer who is intent on wiping out all the Thirds runs rampant. Armitage in her quest to put the murderer to justice reveals a secret. She herself is a Third. It's the same story as original Armitage III, so would be weird if it got a different score from me. The main difference for me is that original is available with subs and Poly-Matrix only dubbed. Movie has slightly better directorship, at least it seems so to me after watching both.   Overall Rating: 6/10   32. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 04: Henderland no Daibouken クレヨンしんちゃん ヘンダーランドの大冒険  [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Adventure, Ecchi A modern horror style fantasy depicting a laughable adventure in Gunma Hender Land, the largest theme park in the north areas around Tokyo. Nohara family fight with Toppema Muppet (a talking doll from Magic World) against two gay 'witch' men Makao and Joma, who came from Another World and try to invade the Real World. Can't blame Shin-chan movies for fantasy plots and not enough humor density compared to series - that is natural. So main question for me whether it helps to understand characters better like first movie or provides something outstanding in some field. And the answer is ... nothing worth mentioning. Some new female characters from fairy forest have showed up, so it got somewhat more pervy than usual, and the whole Mr. Snowman part is not fun enough.   Overall Rating: 6/10   33. Hamelin no Violin Hiki: The Movie ハーメルンのバイオリン弾き [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  While on their quest to stop the Demon King, the violinist Hamel, the pianist Raiel, the magess Flute and the female warrior Sizer stop in a small kingdom and destroy a rampaging monster. While giving the four a heroes' welcome, the king and queen explain that their daughter has been kidnapped by a monster living in a nearby castle. They agree to go and rescue the hostage princess and defeat the monster. However, the enemy's castle is heavily guarded... It's under 30 minutes, so it looks more like a pilot episode than a real movie. I actually like drawing and characters, but with such length and only couple fights in the process it's hardly possible to make real conclusions, but closer to decent so far.   Overall Rating: 6/10   34. Mahoujin Guru Guru Movie 劇場版 魔法陣グルグル [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy The hero Nike and magic user Kukuri learn of the "Pickle of Happiness", an item that will grant a wish to the one who eats it. With the help of old friends, they must beat the monsters to the Pickle and convince its guardian dragon to give it to them. Nice Guru Guru short movie, as usual with lots of featured humor, yet can't call it a masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 6/10   35. Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshou Dragon Quest - Emblem of Roto ドラゴンクエスト列伝 ロトの紋章  [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Fantasy The adventures of Arus's childhood. A rather pleasant fatansy prologue with first battle, but too short and simple for real scores.   Overall Rating: 6/10   36. Nintama Rantarou Movie 映画　忍たま乱太郎 [Ajia-Do] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Comedy In the movie, the Dokutake ninja steal a shipment of saltpeter from Shinbei's papa. They plan to use it to create medicine that will make them fly and become super-ninjas! Danzou, who's father was transporting the goods, stows away and is taken to the Dokutake's secret headquarters. When Shinbei informs the school, Yamada-sensei and Doi-sensei rush to help. But Hagumi decide to take matters into their own hands and try to rescue Danzou themselves. Things don't go according to plan, though, and soon they all need to be rescued too. Fortunately Rikichi, Yamada-sensei's cool son, is around to help out! In fact, before long everyone gets into the act! But can Rantarou and his friends stop Happousai before it's too late? Not translated. It's a comedy with many chibi character designs. It's definitely amusing, so above average, but ninja villages rivalry is not too interesting topic to begin with.   Overall Rating: 6/10
  9. kivandopulus
    No masterpieces found, but the closest one to it in Winter 1996 is Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan    1. Dragon Ball GT ドラゴンボールGT [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/64) Tags: Shounen Super Power Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Emperor Pilaf finally has his hands on the Black Star Dragon Balls after years of searching, which are said to be twice as powerful as Earth's normal ones. Pilaf is about to make his wish for world domination when he is interrupted by Gokuu Son. As a result, Pilaf flubs his wish and accidentally turns Gokuu back into a child. After the wish is granted, the Black Star Dragon Balls scatter across the galaxy. However, Gokuu discovers that they will cause the Earth to explode unless they are all brought back within a year. Uniting with his granddaughter Pan and a young adult Trunks, Gokuu sets off on an adventure through the universe to find the Black Star Dragon Balls and save his planet from destruction. Granny Bruma? Now I've seen it all. Did not expect to see yet another sequel. Feels rather weak from first three episodes.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan Rurouni Kenshin るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚- [Gallop, Studio Deen] (Finished 10/94) Tags:  Shounen Historical, Samurai Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance In the final years of the Bakumatsu era lived a legendary assassin known as Hitokiri Battousai. Feared as a merciless killer, he was unmatched throughout the country, but mysteriously disappeared at the peak of the Japanese Revolution. It has been ten peaceful years since then, but the very mention of Battousai still strikes terror into the hearts of war veterans. Unbeknownst to them, Battousai has abandoned his bloodstained lifestyle in an effort to repent for his sins, now living as Kenshin Himura, a wandering swordsman with a cheerful attitude and a strong will. Vowing never to kill again, Kenshin dedicates himself to protecting the weak. One day, he stumbles across Kaoru Kamiya at her kendo dojo, which is being threatened by an impostor claiming to be Battousai. After receiving help from Kenshin, Kaoru allows him to stay at the dojo, and so the former assassin temporarily ceases his travels. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan tells the story of Kenshin as he strives to save those in need of saving. However, as enemies from both past and present begin to emerge, will the reformed killer be able to uphold his new ideals? It's one of those decent episodic anime that are always nice to watch when it runs on TV, but at the same time I never got incentive to watch it to the end. And I can't say I enjoy it enough to give a masterpiece score. Characters are fine, moral for children is good, but it lacks real humor or concentrated story. Basically, it needs OVA-Movie story format or going it all for humor like Gintama.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Detective Conan Case Closed 名探偵コナン [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/?) Tags: Shounen Detective Adventure, Comedy, Mystery Shinichi Kudou, a high school student of astounding talent in detective work, is well known for having solved several challenging cases. One day, when Shinichi spots two suspicious men and decides to follow them, he inadvertently becomes witness to a disturbing illegal activity. Unfortunately, he is caught in the act, so the men dose him with an experimental drug formulated by their criminal organization, leaving him to his death. However, to his own astonishment, Shinichi lives to see another day, but now in the body of a seven-year-old child. Perfectly preserving his original intelligence, he hides his real identity from everyone, including his childhood friend Ran Mouri and her father, private detective Kogorou Mouri. To this end, he takes on the alias of Conan Edogawa, inspired by the mystery writers Arthur Conan Doyle and Ranpo Edogawa. Detective Conan follows Shinichi who, as Conan, starts secretly solving the senior Mouri's cases from behind the scenes with his still exceptional sleuthing skills, while covertly investigating the organization responsible for his current state, hoping to reverse the drug's effects someday. Can't hide my aversion towards detectives. And running such series for 30 years... is beyond my understanding. No need to say, I'll omit every single Detective Conan piece from now on.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Gegege no Kitarou (1996) Spooky Kitaro ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/114) Tags: Mythology Adventure, Supernatural Kitarou, a ghost, spends his afterlife helping humans in need of his skills. He thwarts the plans of evil spirits who live to torment humanity. This time, Kitarou's friend Megumi is in need of his help. Her father, a botanist, went to Baruru Island to study the plant life there, and was subsequently kidnapped by evil spirits. It's up to Kitarou to save him. I've blocked countless number of Kitarou movies already since there's hardly anything new to say about them. It has its audience - that's not me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Yuusha Shirei Dagwon Brave Command Dagwon 勇者指令ダグオン [Sunrise] (Finished 3/48) Tags: Martial Arts, Mecha, School, Super Power Action, Adventure A huge space monster appeared in a city and began to destroy the city. People were escaping with screaming. Among them, there were five high school students, En, Kai, Shin, Yoku, and Ryu. However, they failed to escape, and they rushed into a patrol car parked nearby. The monster was approaching to them. When they began to accept their death, the patrol car glowed blue white and disappeared into a mysterious space carrying them. When they were astonished, it was an alien that appeared in front of them. He was a Bravian who is an officer of the Space Police Organization that was responsible for the peace and order of the universe. He explained them that he was aimed at by ferocious aliens in the Space Prison Sargasso. He added that he had given them a battle machine "Dag Beagle" made by copying machines on the Earth in order to fight against Sargasso. They turned into Dagwon by the power of Bravian, and fought against space monsters. At that moment, the patrol car came in front of En. En grew into the car and turned into the Brave Robot Dag Fire, then beaten the enemy. However, the fight between the Brave Dagwon and the felonious aliens of Sargasso had just begun. Sunrise mecha, nothing to see here, Unbelievably horrible.   Overall Rating: 4/10   6. Bucket de Gohan バケツでごはん [Magic Bus] (Finished 3/20) Tags: Anthropomorphic Comedy The animals at Uenohara Zoo love their jobs, and their jobs involve acting like animals when human beings are watching and getting on with very human lives when they're not. Paramount among them is Ginpei the penguin, who is eternally getting into trouble with the giraffes, lions, and pandas. Not translated. It's an average comedy with anthropomorphic animals at the zoo and a lot of antics instead of humor.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team 機動戦士ガンダム 第08MS小隊 [Sunrise] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Mecha, Military Adventure, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi In year 0079 of the Universal Century, the Earth Federation initiates Operation Odessa—a full-scale assault to retake a major Ukrainian city from the Principality of Zeon. It is a success, and the remaining Zeon forces scatter across the globe. The Earth Federation gains the upper hand in the One Year War and deploys its ground troops around the planet to hunt down the stragglers. As part of the deployments, Ensign Shiro Amada is transferred to Southeast Asia to take command of the 08th MS Team—a special squadron of RX-79[G] Gundam Ground Type pilots. In their first guerilla operation, Shiro's team is tasked with distracting the Zeon forces while Federation ground troops locate a mysterious new Zeon weapon. Everything goes according to plan until Shiro runs into Aina Sahalin, an ace Zeon pilot he met in an earlier battle, during a skirmish. Their reunion weakens his resolve to continue fighting, and now the young commander Shiro must prove his loyalty to the Federation—or be branded a traitor. Pure averageness, as usual for Sunrise. Its level is forever bound in the 1970s.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Sonic★the★Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie ソニック★ザ★ヘッジホッグ [Pierrot] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Living in the wreckage of a rusty old airplane on the shimmering shores of South Island, Sonic the Hedgehog and his buddy Miles "Tails" Prower have not a care in the world. The president of Planet Freedom urgently summons the duo, but trouble is afoot when Sonic and Tails instead find the good-for-nothing Dr. Eggman lounging about his office as if it were his own. While Sonic would prefer to scramble Eggman and move on with his day, the doctor claims not to have new plans for world domination. He instead pleads for help: the generator powering Eggman's home city of Eggmanland has been hijacked and overloaded by a mysterious menace. If left unattended, it will explode, taking both Eggman and Sonic's homes with it. Reluctantly agreeing on the off chance Eggman is telling the truth, Sonic and Tails set out into the abyss—where an unknown yet uncannily familiar enemy lies in wait. Never understood Sonic appeal, whether Disney or not.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Fire Emblem ファイアーエムブレム [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Fantasy The Kingdoms of Dolhr, Grust, and Gra band together to wage war on the rest of the continent Archanea and defeat the Kingdom of Altea. King Cornelius is slain in battle but his son Prince Marth is able to escape the invasion thanks to the sacrifice of his older sister Elice. He and a small group of retainers find refuge on the island nation of Talys, where they spend the next three years in hiding under the royal family's protection. Marth lives a peaceful life in Talys, enjoying the beauty of the island and the friendship of its pegasus-riding princess, Caeda. But he is uneasy, knowing soon the day will come that he must take up arms. That day arrives when Caeda comes to Marth and his retainers in a panic, telling him that the castle town has been attacked. After some close calls, they manage to defeat the assailants and save the city. Realizing that his presence may bring further danger to his new home, Marth decides that now is the time to set off. He journeys to raise an army with which to reclaim his kingdom. Story is very simple and RPG-like. I was glad to see how this franchise started.   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. MD Geist II: Death Force M.D. Geist 2 装鬼兵MDガイスト2 [Zero-G Room] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Military Action, Sci-Fi After unleashing the Death Force machines all over the planet Jerra, Geist has kept himself busy by dismantling them one by one. But now he faces a formidable opponent in the form of Krauser, another M.D.S. (Most Dangerous Soldier) who has aligned himself as the only savior of mankind. Somehow, I liked it even less than the original that at least had a plot and concept. Now it's very chaotic development with Geist losing like three times for some reason and all the focus on bloody visuals. It's got very messy and totally unimpressive as a result.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Soreyuke! Uchuu Senkan Yamamoto Youko Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko それゆけ！宇宙戦艦ヤマモト・ヨーコ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi  Meet Yohko Yamamoto - a cat-eyed, 15-year-old girl in the late 20th century with a love for videogames and Pocky. Because of her exceptional talent with arcade shooters, she's been recruited by Lawson to travel a thousand years into the future to pilot the prototype ship TA-29. Together with Ayano Elizabeth Hakuhoin, Madoka Midoh and Momiji Kagariya, Yohko leads the Terran team against Rouge and Ness' infamous Red Snappers in this epic space adventure. Everything is most unserious here although I can't call it a comedy either. Feels more like hummingbirds where concept of cute female idols stands as first and space adventure competition with everything else as secondary.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Boku no Marie My Dear Marie ぼくのマリー [Pierrot] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi  Ever met the perfect girl? Did she have the perfect boyfriend? Feel like you can't compete? Why not build your own? When an amateur mad scientist attempts to build a robotic duplicate of this dream girl, Marie is the result. Of course, there are the usual unexpected complications. He built her so well that Marie has a mind of her own and a whole host of questions to go with it. The same questions that each of us ask of life. Where did I come from? Why am I here? Why do I look just like that girl over there?! Well, perhaps we don’t all have to worry about that, but Marie does! Android girl is a wide spread concept, but usually it's about finding rather than making one. Among all the previous love triangle concepts Marie looks rather decent due to enough attention to characters and good variety in each of three episodes.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Tokumu Sentai Shinesman Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman 特務戦隊シャインズマン [Production I.G] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi Hiroya Matsumoto, hoping to become a great employee as his late father, has just been hired at Raito (Right) Trading Company. Little does he know that he has been recruited for a very mysterious department within the company - the Special Duty Combat Unit, known as SHINESMAN. Their purpose, to fight the terrible (often times hilarious) alien forces that threaten the earth. Like most corporate employees, Matsumoto still has meetings to attend and deadlines to meet. But when the Shinesman rage war against the alien race from Planet Voice, led by their Prince Sasaki, Matsumoto and his co-workers don their office-coloured comat Pro-suits and become: Shinesman Red, Sepia, Salmon Pink, Grey, and Moss Green. If you thought you'd seen it all in Power Rangers, Kamen Rider, or even Dynaman, wait until you take a look at the zaney but corporate world of SHINESMAN! Power rangers is arguably the worst concept to develop on. This attempt to make it into parody comedy centered around one corporation feels awkward and absolutely not funny.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Ninja Mono Ninja Cadets Ｎｉｎｊａ者 [AIC] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural During Japan's feudal era, there was a war between two ninja clans: the Byakuro and the Kabusu. One night, the Kabusu staged a fierce attack on the Byakuro castle in hopes of kidnapping the clan's infant princess. Their mission was foiled when a loyal ninja of the Byakuro flees the attack with the princess and disappears, eventually raising her to be a ninja. Several years later, six ninja trainees are given a mission to infiltrate the Kabusu-occupied Byakuro castle and retrieve a sacred scroll to complete their training. But their skills are put to the test when they encounter three members of the Kabusu, who use dark sorcery in an attempt to once again capture the princess - who happens to be one of the trainees. Average lacking seriousness ninja show with some fanservice. Violent and goofy at the same time, so hard to find its target audience.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Power Dolls パワードール [OLM] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi In 2535 A.D., after decades of oppressive policies instituted by the Terran government, the people of the colony world Omni joined together to declare their independence from the tyranny of planet Earth. Lacking an established military or specialized weapons of warfare, the Omni rebellion seemed doomed to failure. However, by adapting the robotic Power Loaders used for unloading spaceships into man-like battle tanks, the Rebel forces instead introduced a whole new era of mechanized combat. Now, the future of the planet Omni rests upon a handful of young female pilots who serve in the special Detachment of Limited Line Service. Their code name: The Power Dolls! Generic Gundam story as just a stage for mecha fights. It's appalling how Gundam series can't reach emotional level and involvement even of this small OVA. Making it all girl and with fanservice hurts seriousness a lot.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. Marriage: Kekkon Marriage Marriage ～結婚～ [Madhouse, Studio Junio, DR Movie] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Romance, Slice of Life  The OVA anime release Marriage consists of two 30-minute pieces by Miki Kasamatsu on the topics of love and looking for that special someone. The first deals with a group of young women who, after being out of school for a few years, are beginning to think about settling down. However, there is one member of the group who has no prospects, and Shizuka's friends are worried that her shyness will keep Mr. Right from noticing her beauty and character. They persuade her to join a dating service called The Wedding Club, but when her first match seems to be quite a dud, Shizuka wonders if a trip down the isle just isn't in her future. The second episode is about five sisters, only one of whom isn't married. What's more, the cool Kiyomi seems to have no interest whatsoever in finding a husband. Her sisters have other ideas, though, and when a co-worker asks her out on a date, the women convince the suitor to propose marriage that very night.This is easier said than done, however, as Kiyomi's attitude can be quite intimidating. The young man may not end up following through with the plan, but even if he does there is no guarantee that the headstrong lady in question will say yes. Since original is a crude dating sim, it's evident that focus would be on cuteness and stamps. Bland and generic.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Teppen てっぺん [Knack Productions] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Action, Comedy  Hanabishi, an extremely violent, but chivalrous delinquent, gets into fights with yakuza, other punks, and sometimes the police, gaining a feared reputation that attracts a couple admirers and antagonizes his gang-infested schools' bosses. Not translated, as most delinquents OVAs, anyway, and I understand, why. Golden age of yakuza was in the 1970s and partially in the 1980s, so all those anime mimic drawing style of the past and deliberately avoid any complexity. Crude humor and animations, lots of violence .   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Itsuka no Main: Kaminari Shounen - Tenta Sanjou! いつかのメイン 雷少年・天太参上!  [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Delinquents Action, Drama Based on the manga by Mizuho Shuushi, the story shows a realistic portrayal of a Japanese bike gang member trying to live up to social expectations of him being a 'legend'. Not translated. Compared to other yakuza OVAs, this one has more comedy as protagonist is relatively weak, but has to play cool. Violence level is still overwhelming as usual, but quality is higher than average yakuza show. Plus there's a bit of fantasy element as there's a guy with red eyes and snake tongue, and he even uses this tongue as a weapon.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Zokuzoku Mura no Obake-tachi ぞくぞく村のオバケたち [Toei Animation] (Finished 0/12) Tags: Fantasy A succession of tales taken from the 1.3-million-selling children's books by Akiko Sueyoshi and Mako Taruishi, including Ram the Mummy, Obatan the Witch, The Childish Goblin, and Kitten Ghosts Goo, Soo and Pea. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   20. Gokinjo Monogatari the Movie Neighborhood Story The Movie ご近所物語 (1996) [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Visual Arts Comedy, Drama, Romance An alternate retelling of the beginning of the original series. Mikako and Tsutomu lived next door to each other since they were little. They both attend an art school, where Mikako is pursuing her dream of being a fashion designer. They formed a club called Akindo with several of their friends. Akindo participates in flea markets, where they sell their creations—clothes, dolls, and artwork. I value gags much more than romance line here, so recap of beginning of romance line is not something I could enjoy.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Chocchan Monogatari チョッちゃん物語 [Triangle Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Drama, Slice of Life This feature length film is based on autobiography of Cho "Chocchan" Kuroyanagi, who is better known as the mother of an actress Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The story starts in pre-World War 2 Japan when Chocchan marries violinist despite the objection of both of their families. They live in poverty, have three children and are happy together. Any misfortune they face with a smile. But new obstacle for their happiness comes when the war breaks out and Chocchan's husband must leave for the front... Not translated. You know how I treat World War 2 autobiography pieces... with a lot of prejudice. This one is a typical story with some hardships and waiting for dad to return.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Pipi Tobenai Hotaru Pipi とべないホタル [Mushi Production] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Drama, Fantasy  Based on the fairy tale novel series by Akira Ozawa (小沢昭巳). Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   23. City Hunter: The Secret Service シティーハンタースペシャル ザ・シークレット・サービス [Sunrise] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Action, Comedy, Mystery James McGuire has a dream. He wants to become the president of Guinam and free his people from the military rulers who have been in power up until now. However, one thing stands in McGuire's way: his past. And it's beginning to catch up with him, endangering not only his career, but the life of his long lost daughter. McGuire hires the City Hunter, Ryo Saeba and his partner Kaori to protect his daughter Anna, who herself is a Secret Service agent assigned to bodyguard the presidential hopeful. Longer than usual City Hunter movie with a little more depth into it, but nothing out of expectations range, lost in self-repeats.   Overall Rating: 6/10
  10. kivandopulus
    Koukaku Kidoutai is the second genius masterpiece I can proclaim , plus this season sees the start of Neon Genesis Evangelion even though its first half was not outstanding   1. Neon Genesis Evangelion 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン  [Gainax, Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Mecha, Psychological Action, Avant Garde, Award Winning, Drama, Sci-Fi, Suspense Fifteen years after a cataclysmic event known as the Second Impact, the world faces a new threat: monstrous celestial beings called "Angels" invade Tokyo-3 one by one. Mankind is unable to defend themselves against the Angels despite utilizing their most advanced munitions and military tactics. The only hope for human salvation rests in the hands of NERV, a mysterious organization led by the cold Gendou Ikari. NERV operates giant humanoid robots dubbed "Evangelions" to combat the Angels with state-of-the-art advanced weaponry and protective barriers known as Absolute Terror Fields. Years after being abandoned by his father, Shinji Ikari, Gendou's 14-year-old son, returns to Tokyo-3. Shinji undergoes a perpetual internal battle against the deeply buried trauma caused by the loss of his mother and the emotional neglect he suffered at the hands of his father. Terrified to open himself up to another, Shinji's life is forever changed upon meeting 29-year-old Misato Katsuragi, a high-ranking NERV officer who shows him a free-spirited maternal kindness he has never experienced. A devastating Angel attack forces Shinji into action as Gendou reveals his true motive for inviting his son back to Tokyo-3: Shinji is the only child capable of efficiently piloting Evangelion Unit-01, a new robot that synchronizes with his biometrics. Despite the brutal psychological trauma brought about by piloting an Evangelion, Shinji defends Tokyo-3 against the angelic threat, oblivious to his father's dark machinations. Of course I watched it in the past as well. I was never head over heels about it - just a good mecha anime with unusually good twists and characters. I still don't consider it perfect, because I can't say I enjoy every episode and every scene. There's enough of stupid dialogues, long pauses and immature behavior . Start is rather slow as there's the need to show SOL, give some easy enough wins under disguise of usual mecha and present both heroines in a likable manner. The real shock comes when things stop being just monster of the week entertainment, no spoilers intended. The real question for me is it intellectual enough for a 9, and I'd say it is with all those monsters called "angels" and evangelic motives with even mecha called "EVA" and the whole surreal seven last episodes - there's a lot of room for drama, psychology and interpretation. At the very least, it promotes the thought to love and respect yourself and to not blindly follow socially accepted behavior as it may easily be a trap.   Overall Rating: 9/10   2. Gokinjo Monogatari Neighborhood Stories ご近所物語 [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/50) Tags: Shoujo Visual Arts Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life The protagonist, Kouda Mikako, is a student of "Yaza Gaku". Specialising in fashion design, Mikako dreams of becoming a fashion designer with her own brand. Living next to her is her childhood friend, Yamaguchi Tsutomu. Even though they have been close since they were young, they share a platonic friendship. However, Tsutomu has been gaining popularity, especially with the girls, because he seems to resemble a popular vocalist from a band and somehow, Mikako begins to see him in a different light. This is a story about how youths cope with dreams, love and friendship. A pretty good shoujo comedy with distinctive corresponding visual style preceding Nana. But these visuals, lack of psychology and rather shallow characters prevent me from enjoying this.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Bakuretsu Hunters Sorcerer Hunters 爆れつハンター  [Xebec] (Finished 4/26) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural, Ecchi In the continent of spooner, sorcerers, who are the continent's aristocrats, have begun to abuse their powers. Under the guidance of Big Momma (their boss) Carrot (who turns into a giant monster every time he's placed under a magic spell), Gateau (a bodybuilder), Marron (a mage), Chocolate and Tira (who can transform into dominatrix's at will) must stop the evil sorcerers from picking on the weak; however, none of them (except maybe Marron) have a clue to what's going on. It feels like a mix of Slayers and Magical Circle Guru Guru as there is both fantasy action absurd parody. It's aimless, episodic, shallow and overall not great although quite easy to watch  .   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Kaitou Saint Tail Mysterious Thief Saint Tail 怪盗セイント・テール [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/43) Tags: Shoujo Adventure, Romance Meimi Haneoka, 14, is a normal girl during the daytime, but during the night, she assumes the "position" of Saint Tail, a modern-day Robin Hood who steals from thieves and gives items back to their original owners. She is aided by her friend, Seira Mimori, a nun-in-training, and she is chased by her classmate (and soon-to-be love interest), Daiki Asuka (often called "Asuka Jr."). Imagine a series where a boy would pursue the identity behind Sailor Moon while attending the same school as her, and that would be this title. And thanks to no big arc behind it all, it manages to be easygoing and rather fun comedy if not expecting much out of it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. El Hazard: The Wanderers 神秘の世界エルハザード [AIC] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Isekai Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance High school science-whiz Makoto Mizuhara is working on his newest project in preparation for the school festival, alongside his best friend Nanami Jinnai. Nanami's brother and Makoto's lifelong rival, the unscrupulous student council president Katsuhiko Jinnai, is under scrutiny for mishandling the school festival planning and is convinced that Makoto is plotting to steal his position. One night, as Makoto and Nanami are taking a break with their teacher Masamichi Fujisawa, Jinnai sneaks into the science lab and sabotages Makoto's device, which suddenly opens a portal that flings all four of them into another world! Upon arrival, Makoto is immediately attacked by a horde of giant bug monsters. While running from them, he comes across Fujisawa and a girl named Rune Venus. After Fujisawa fights off the monsters, a group of dignitaries arrives, looking for Rune, their princess. They inform Makoto and Fujisawa that they are in a world called El-Hazard and take them back to the palace of Roshtaria, their kingdom. Though her advisors are suspicious of the newcomers, Rune decrees that they are to be treated as guests and quickly befriends Makoto. Unaware that Nanami and Jinnai are in this world as well, Makoto gets to work trying to figure out a way back to Earth. It still reminds Tenchi in isekai setting, but this one is even worse than original OVA that tried to remain serious and realistic while this one is too simple in comparison.   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Virtua Fighter バーチャファイター [Tokyo Movie Shinsha] (Finished 3/35) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action, Adventure, Comedy Akira Yuki has spent years honing his Bajiquan skills under the guidance of his grandfather. He yearns to see the constellation of the eight stars of heaven, which are only revealed to those with real strength. This burning desire urges him to embark on travels, so as to learn more about how to see the stars. Meanwhile, a nefarious robotics scientist, Eva Durix, desires to create the perfect soldier. Eva's group, Judgment 6, tracks down and kidnaps Sarah Bryant, a college student and close acquaintance of Akira who is investigating a mysterious accident concerning her brother. Akira must now fight his way to Sarah to save her from the clutches of Judgement 6, a perilous path sure to be paved with countless challenges. Partially translated. For a fighting game adaptation an ok action comedy, but for an outsider can hardly be enjoyable.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Mojakou モジャ公 [OLM] (Finished 1/74) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi  Sorao is an ordinary student who lives an ordinary everyday life of a typical kid, accidentally makes friends with two aliens stranded here on Earth. His life changes as he decides to help them find a way to get home. When they do reach the aliens' homeworld, Sorao along with Miki, discovered a blood feud between two different tribes. Things gone awry as the tribes' representatives try to out do one another in search of the missing treasure of the past with the help of an uncovered clue. Just one episode translated. No miracle as I consider this Doraemon clone to be a work for kids only. It's unusual to see duo of protagonists, plus a whole family of aliens, but the flow is familiar for this kind of shows.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Touma Kishinden Oni 闘魔鬼神伝ONI [J.C.Staff] (Finished 0/25) Tags: Supernatural Shuramaru is hated and feared by the villagers for his unusual powers. He thinks he is human, but... is he? Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   9. Golden Boy ゴールデンボーイ [APPP] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Adult Cast, Gag Humor Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi Kintarou Ooe is a specialist in part-time work, riding all over the highways and byways of Japan on his trusty steed, the Mikazuki 5, and finding employment wherever he can. His adventures bring him knowledge and experience that can't be taught in a classroom, from political corruption to the delicacy of a young woman's heart. With nothing but the open road before him—not to mention the many beautiful women along the way—Kintarou pursues his spirit of education while attempting to hold down his various odd jobs, however undignified they may be. As he learns from each task he takes on, who knows what could happen? He might even be able to save the world one day. One thing is for sure—this will all be very educational! A memorable fanservice ecchi with genius pervy protagonist who is shown as goofy in the beginning of each episode, and thanks to his motto "Study, study, study" he achieves unbelievable results and wins everyone's hearts in short time. Dumb, but quite watchable with switched off head .   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Gunsmith Cats ガンスミス キャッツ [OLM] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Seinen Detective Action, Comedy In the dangerous suburbs of Chicago, skilled bounty hunters Irene "Rally" Vincent and "Minnie" May Hopkins run Gunsmith Cats, a firearms store of questionable legality. One day, Bill Collins, an agent for the Chicago branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, blackmails Rally and May into working with him on a case. The stakes are high, but Rally’s gunmanship and May’s knowledge of explosives are unmatched. As Rally and May unravel the secrets of the case, the two will need to use guns and grenades while being faster, stronger, and better than everyone else in order to stay alive. With Dirty Pair trashed new competitors show up on the same stage. It's pure cliche action with a bit of fanservice and humor, so nothing much.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Bio Hunter バイオ・ハンタ [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mythology Action, Horror Two scientists are attempting to distribute the cure for a demon virus that is affecting people all over Japan, however, things have become complicated. One of them has become infected. So begins his battle with himself, as he attempts to not only control his emerging demon side, but also to save the lives of others by wielding its great strength. All the genetic transformations are disgusting for me, plus there's even no good story behind it.   Overall Rating: 4/10   12. Yuu☆Yuu☆Hakusho: Eizou Hakusho II 幽☆遊☆白書Ⅱ: 幽助、蔵魔、飛影、桑原 [Pierrot] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural Eizou Hakusho II actually consists of four separate volumes. Each volume focuses around one of the main characters; Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, or Kuwabara. Each episode is basically recap about the specific character's involvement in the series. It's OVA for fans as focus is on certain character. I never finished the series and did not find these recaps entertaining either.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Shadow Skill 影技 SHADOW SKILL [Zero-G Room] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Drama, Fantasy In this OVA, the story of Gau's history with his adopted sister and the secrets that make up the shadow skill unfold. The pair make their annual return to the gravesite of Gau's parents, where his growth and progress as a warrior can be exhibited for them. Gau has come along way in his training as a Sevalle under Elle's mentorship, but there are those who wish to find a way of eliminating them, just waiting for the right opportunity to mount a deadly attack. As the travellers make their journey, their family bonds and skill will be tested. Opponents are many, and battles are fierce, but Gau's training also entails taking on his sister in battle, and fully embracing the skills he must learn to defeat his ultimate opponent. Epic fighting action is in the center, and everything else is derivative, so it fails to transcend the averageness.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Yousei Hime Ren Elf Princess Rane 妖精姫レーン [Dangun Pictures] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  Gou has woved to find the legendary treasure of Salamander. Searching for it he meets Ren, a fairy, who is looking for the four treasures of Heart. Gou's childhood friend Mari is frustrated with Gou running after treasures, but befriends with another fairy Rin. Gou and Ren's treasure hunt messes with a secret project led by Mari's father. It turns out Salamander isn't what Gou thought it was in the first place... Absurd comedy with some fanservice and hardly anything funny at all.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Dirty Pair Flash 3 ダーティペアFLASH 3 [Sunrise] (Finished 5/5) Tags: Detective Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Sexy superagents Kei and Yuri find themselves in serious trouble when they attempt to track down Kei's godson and cross paths with a killer ski patrol. This collection of episodes also features the crime fighters fending off seagulls and assassins. There is no time to rest for these two anime characters, who must continually put their lives on the line in order to successfully complete their important missions. First flash tried to be a prequel, second flash tried to present an improved version for newcomers, and this third one is mostly about fanservice, so for me it's probably the worst one in the flash series.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. Akazukin Chacha OVA 赤ずきんチャチャ (1995) [Gallop] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy Following the original TV series, the story tells the efforts of Momiji Gakuen, Chacha's rival school principal, to discover what is so special about Urara Gakuen students and what she could do to "produce" the best students. Absurdist gag comedies are hard to describe, but it's definitely in the flow of the original series.   Overall Rating: 6/10   17. Chinmoku no Kantai 沈黙の艦隊 [Sunrise] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Seinen Military Action, Drama During the cold war, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force jointly developed a nuclear submarine with the United States Navy. On its maiden voyage, the captain of the submarine declares the submarine to be an independent state, "Yamato." I'm not a fan of navy anime, it's only slightly above average, but 90 minutes is not enough to tell a military story.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Shin Kaitei Gunkan 新海底軍艦  [Phoenix Entertainment] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Historical, Military Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Moments after an atomic bomb falls over Hiroshima, a secret Japanese submarine sails into battle against its American counterpart, and both are lost to history. Some fifty years later, a special UN task force sent to investigate unusual phenomena in Antarctica is threatened by a mysterious black cylinder. And another navy story, but this time with fantasy element in the form of subterraneans, so it was at least slightly amusing and paved the way to Zipang many years after.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Gakkou no Yuurei 学校の幽霊 [Toei Animation, Aubec] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Mythology, School Horror This OVA is a live-action/animation mixed collection of short school ghost stories. Not translated. Just school horror stories, better drawing that it used to be for ghost stories, so at least watchable.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Compiler Festa Compiler 2 [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi  Compiler and Assembler have been given 3 days to return the the 2-D world. If they do not return the council has sworn to destroy it. How will the they spend their last days on earth. Will they be able to confess their love. If only things were that simple. Now a mysterious character is eliminating other individuals from the 2-D world. Can Compiler and Assembler stop this new fiend and be together with those they love. First Compiler was manga spin-off without any introduction or explanation. This time it's conclusion, but it does not make it much better. In the end it becomes something like Oh Megami-sama, just more ecchi.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Haou Daikei Ryuu Knight: Adeu Legend II Lord of Lords Ryu Knight: Adeu's Legend II 覇王大系リューナイト アデュー・レジェンドⅡ [Sunrise] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Fantasy Continuation of the series. I'm glad to see that series got more serious in the sequel, but a little too late, also ending is unsatisfying.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Yamato Takeru: After War ヤマトタケル ～After War～ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Space Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Three years have passed after the decisive battle at the end of Yamato Takeru and peace has return to the land. Takeru, Oto and their friends return to the village and continue living their days in bliss until one night Shuranoo, piloted by Mikazuchi, marks a return and appears in the village to wreak havoc. Takeru is left without any choice and is forced to reactivate the sealed Susanoo from his slumber. However, this is just the beginning of a new threat, and Takeru has to overcome himself if he wants to rescue Oto from the impending danger. One more weird franchise to end. Average and ugly.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Koukaku Kidoutai Ghost in the Shell GHOST IN THE SHELL（攻殻機動隊） [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Detective, Mecha, Psychological Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Suspense In the year 2029, Niihama City has become a technologically advanced metropolis. Due to great improvements in cybernetics, its citizens are able to replace their limbs with robotic parts. The world is now more interconnected than ever before, and the city's Public Security Section 9 is responsible for combating corruption, terrorism, and other dangerous threats following this shift toward globalization. The strong-willed Major Motoko Kusanagi of Section 9 spearheads a case involving a mysterious hacker known only as the "Puppet Master," who leaves a trail of victims stripped of their memories. Like many in this futuristic world, the Puppet Master's body is almost entirely robotic, giving them incredible power. As Motoko and her subordinates follow the enigmatic criminal's trail, other parties—including Section 6—start to get involved, forcing her to confront the extremely complicated nature of the case. Pondering about various philosophical questions, such as her own life's meaning, Motoko soon realizes that the one who will provide these answers is none other than the Puppet Master themself. I did not plan to give genius masterpiece scores to movies initially, but then I remembered there's GitS, and it's impossible for me to give it anything lower. Alpha and Omega, the ideal entrance point into anime for anyone still calling it cartoons for kids.   Overall Rating: 10/10   24. Memories MEMORIES（メモリーズ）  [Madhouse, Studio 4°C] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Military, Psychological, Space Award Winning, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi Memories is a compilation of three standalone short films encompassing different genres. Magnetic Rose In the far reaches of space, after tracing a distress signal to a large abandoned space station, a pair of engineers—Heintz Beckner and Miguel Costrela—find a derelict mansion and decide to explore on foot. Their investigation reveals a dark secret surrounding the fate of Eva Friedel, a renowned opera singer with a tragic history. Hallucinations soon begin to plague them, and they must fight to retain their sanity in order to escape the station alive. Stink Bomb Hapless lab technician Nobuo Tanaka consumes some pills at his laboratory to cure a cold. Unknown to him, however, the pills are actually experimental drugs that enhance his flatulence to a lethal degree. As the toxic gas escaping him kills everyone in his vicinity, he is ordered by his superiors to retreat to the company headquarters in Tokyo. The journey to the city is made all the more arduous as Nobuo struggles with his deadly odor while the police, military, and foreign adversaries are hot on his trail. Cannon Fodder In a fortress city filled to the brim with cannons, a young boy wishes to surpass his father by becoming a revered artillery officer. Despite no proof of an enemy nation, he cannot resist the urge to partake in the daily bombardment routines organized by the city. Whether at school or just before bedtime, he only dreams of someday firing a cannon for the sake of his homeland. A decent anthology, but I watched it twice over last 20 years already and I barely remember it at all by now again, so can't rate too high.   Overall Rating: 6/10   25. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS: Sailor 9 Senshi Shuuketsu! Black Dream Hole no Kiseki Sailor Moon SuperS the Movie: Black Dream Hole  [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Drama Everywhere around the world, the children sleep. Unaware of danger lurking in the shadows. But tonight, a strange darkness floats in the wind. And the children, one by one, begin to disappear. It seems to be a supernatural force that feeds on their dreams. The evil queen, Badiyanu, and her loyal fairies assist in using the "Black Dream Hole" to swallow the earth. It is up to Sailor Moon and the Sailor Soldiers to prevent the approaching Darkness. The best Sailor Moon movie so far since focus is more on cuteness and sweets and less on fighting.   Overall Rating: 6/10   26. Macross Plus Movie Edition マクロスプラス　ＭＯＶＩＥ　ＥＤＩＴＩＯＮ [Triangle Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi A.D. 2040—Thirty years have passed since the battle between the Earth and Zentraedi forces changed the lives of both races. On planet Eden, a top-secret project known as "Supernova" is being held to determine U.N. Spacy's next-generation variable fighter. Competing to win the funding are Shinsei Industries' YF-19 and General Galaxy's YF-21. Piloting the YF-21 is Guld Goa Bowman, a half-human, half-Zentraedi. Shinsei receives its new test pilot in the form of the unruly fighter pilot Isamu Dyson, who was once a friend of Guld. Meanwhile, as Isamu and Guld furiously battle to see which of their fighters is superior, a Virturoid Idol named Sharon Apple is to perform her debut concert on Eden. In charge of Sharon is producer Myung Fang Lone, another former friend of Isamu and Guld. When the three meet each other, old disputes spark from a troubled past. Little do they know that their past incidents—along with the Supernova Project and Sharon Apple—will somehow bring them together. A super fast recap of the season which only proved to me that story is not as important as music here.   Overall Rating: 6/10   27. Gotou ni Naritai. ５等になりたい。 [Tama Production] (Finished 1/1) Tags: School Drama, Slice of Life Story of a girl born with a bad leg. Ritsuko longs to go to school and make lots of friends but it is not so easy. Her mother is very protective of her and at school she is teased by her classmates for her strange way of walking. Will she manage to keep her smile? I have nothing against tearjerker bullying movies, just don't expect me to like them.   Overall Rating: 5/10   28. Azuki-chan the Movie あずきちゃん [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life It's Valentines' Day, the girls are thinking about the chocolate to give to their love. Youko is having a party on the Valentines' Day. The girls refused her invite, but found out that their love are going to her party, even Azuki-chan's brother is going! Yunosuke-kun gave Azuki-chan a chance to give chocolate to him before Youko's party. Will she be successful in making a chocolate? Will Yunosuke-kun receive her love? Just 30-minute promo of the series, nothing remarkable though.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  11. kivandopulus

    VN of the Month October 2022

    By kivandopulus,


    VN of the Month 2022
    Don't feel like nominating any game at all.   1. Aquarium. あくありうむ。 [221027] Entergram, Inc. A visual novel starring VTuber Minato Aqua. Player plays the role of Aqua's employer and falls in love with his maid. Set in a world that resembles western Europe. The heroine is a new maid hiding a secret in service of the heir of the noble Francois family, who has lost his memories and has nightmares every night in which an unknown girl who says she hates him. One summer day the protagonist is told by his sisters that he needs to practice leadership for when he’ll have to take over the reins of the family. To do so, he needs to give guidance to his clumsy maid and give her advice from time to time. While the hero is attracted to Aqua, she is unable to fully open up to him about her secret and they’re divided by the insurmountable status wall that they cannot overcome despite their feelings for each other. What is the shadow that looms upon them as they face opposition from everyone around them? The is a pure love story of a summer despite social differences. Console exclusive   2. Criminal Border クリミナルボーダー [221028] Purple software It doesn't change whether you're an otaku or not――― Ninomae Itsuki, a boy who doesn't really have any particular skills, enjoys making clichéd MAD videos. One day, after a series of coincidences, he ended up creating an "electronic drug video" which gives strong sexual arousal just by looking at it. "I wonder what would happen if I showed this to that girl who looks down on me." A dark desire stirred up in him. In the end, he succeeded in showing the video to his childhood friend, Akinashi Rin, and also discovered her secret hidden behind the mask of an honors student. "Let's do business using this electronic drug" Rin proposed this "business" to him. Papakatsu, yakuza, criminal gangs―― In the underworld that he shouldn't be a part of, Itsuki found himself swept away. Why, Purple software? Why making an ugly partial release nukige?   3. DraPri Guu-ta-life 3 竜姫ぐーたらいふ３ [221028] Whirlpool Some more time passes, and a new threat arises in the form of enemy faction princess Mei. As the third part in the series, no illusions should remain   4. Kiss kara Hajimeru Egoism キスからはじめるエゴイズム [221028] Satsuki Android girl acknowledges her existence as something more than just a bug. Is egoism that bad? Vanilla nukige with a bit of usual Key-like android self-awareness   5. Study § Steady 2 スタディ§ステディ2 [221028] Marmalade Meeting with you. That is the beginning of her "love" study. Encounter turns into friendship, showing various sides of each other, and eventually, friendship turns into affection. By chance, she might start to call you by your nickname. Just by that alone, the relationship between you two will begin to change in a big way. Under the summer sky, on the beach, watching the fireworks together... will surely make you feel closer to her. By chance, she might wear an attire that is different than usual. Instinctively, you may be thrilled to see her in a different feel than at the school. As you two spend your days together, you will eventually become true lovers. A new love study that begins in the summer. Sparkling days like hot sunshine. Just for you and her, an irreplaceable story is surely out there. If you liked prequel
  12. kivandopulus
    No masterpieces again, but since most people seem to like Mimi wo Sumaseba let it be in the spotlight   1. H2 Ｈ２[エイチ・ツー] [Production Reed] (Finished 3/41) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Romance, Sports Hiro has two loves: baseball and porn, but due to an elbow injury, gives up baseball, choosing a school with no baseball team. His childhood friend Hikari attends a different school with baseball ace Hideo. The two of them wish that Hiro had not given up baseball. Hiro joins the soccer team and meets Haruka, a very clumsy girl who is also the daughter of his father's boss. Haruka is the manager of the unofficial baseball club at Hiro's school. When the soccer team challenges the baseball club to a game, with hopes of humiliating them, the baseball club nearly loses until Hiro, disgusted by the soccer team's arrogance, switches to the baseball club. I'm tired of repeating that all these Adachi Mitsuru spokons look soo much alike with same character designs that it makes me sick each time. Again appearances are slightly changed, but it does not help much. Romance is even worse than usual here, so don't even start if you don't like spokons .   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Nurse Angel Ririka SOS ナースエンジェルりりかＳＯＳ [Gallop] (Finished 3/35) Tags: Shoujo Drama, Fantasy The Evil Forces of Dark Joker are closing in on our planet after having destroyed the beautiful planet of Queen Earth. Now, 10 year old Moriya Ririka, with the help of her childhood friend Seiya and the mysterious Kanon, must transform into the Nurse Angel and find the elusive Flower of Life, the only way to defeat the evil forces. The Flower of Life, that once bloomed all over the Earth, is where no one thought it ever would be. And Ririka must make the hardest decision of her life in order to acquire it and rid the universe of evil once and for all. Plot does not catch stars here, but for once magical girl show does not try to imitate Sailor Moon and creates unique concepts instead. Show's cute, has developed memorable characters and not bad humor. There's more to depth here than meets the eye.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. 3x3 Eyes: Seima Densetsu 3x3 Eyes: Legend of the Divine Demon 3×3 EYES聖魔伝説 [Studio Junio] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Gore, Mythology Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Romance Yakumo has trained and searched for 4 years, following Pai's mysterious disappearance. However, when he finally finds her, not all is well as her memory seems to be gone. They attempt to return her memory by going to the Holy Land, birthplace of the immortal race of Sanjiyans. I'm not a fan of this franchise. First OVA is available only in absolutely dreadful quality, so I literally remember only some action from it. This second one presents decent gory action with a bit of SOL and great enemies, but with protagonists that I don't like. As for me, it's inferior to Blue Seed that is similar in spirit, but with more grown-un attitude and better cast of characters .   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Mahou Shoujo Pretty Sammy Magical Girl Pretty Sammy魔法少女プリティサミー [AIC] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mahou Shoujo, Parody Comedy, Fantasy Sasami's always been kind of neat... but now she's been imbibed with a healthy dose of magic (which she plans to use to right the things wrong with the Earth, and, of course, help keep her brother Tenchi out of trouble). Naturally, there's going to be trouble: this time, it's the mysterious Pixy Misa... and Ryoko going at it against Ayeka (as usual) isn't making things any easier for her! Did not expect it to be Tenchi spin-off. Even fans admit that it does not live up to its original and I just notice myself facepalming more often than usual.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Ginga Ojousama Densetsu Yuna: Kanashimi no Siren Galaxy Fraulein Yuna 銀河お嬢様伝説ユナ ～哀しみのセイレーン～ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Yuna Kagurazaka, a clumsy and sweet 16-year-old girl, had her life drastically changed when she won an intergalactic contest for the person with the purest heart. Now, she is an intergalactic superhero and magical girl known as the Savior of Light. She pilots the mecha El Line to maintain the peace of the universe. But Yuna's entire world is shaken when she is wrongfully accused of destroying a city with El Line. She is captured and taken prisoner by Misaki Ichijouin, a special agent from the Galaxy Alliance. However, Misaki soon realizes that she has been deceived and teams up with the rest of Yuna's friends to free the Savior and save the galaxy before an evil force is restored to power. As game spin-off, ok, but as self-sufficient anime too short and random.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Rakushou! Hyper Doll 楽勝! ハイパードール [Triangle Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Mew and Mica are alien androids sent by their boss to defend the Earth. Unfortunately for our planet, they are the laziest superheroines you will ever meet. Now most superheroes would drop whatever they're doing, transform, and proceed to kick monsters' butts... but these two would do no such thing. Mew and Mica just can't let their duties interfere with their ice cream, arguments, or whatever activities they happen to be engaged in at the time. When they are not Hyper Dolls they seem to be just ordinary, rather cute school girls, lusted after by the boys. Another weird parody on alien bikini armor superpower girls with magical transformation fighting huge monsters that is not memorable in any way.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Idol Project アイドルプロジェクト [Studio OX] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Idols (Female), Music Adventure, Comedy Mimu Emilton is a cute fourteen-year-old who has come to the annual Starland Festival to become an idol, just like her role model, Yuri. It is the most celebrated event on a united Earth, and Yuri, now the President of Earth, has encouraged people to join the ranks of Excellent Idols. Unfortunately for Mimu, she can never seem to make it to her audition on time, as misadventure after misadventure lands her in situations (usually involving undergarment exposure, I might add) that she escapes with the help of the current Excellent Idols, whom she befriends. Just as she makes her place on the stage and begins her audition, though, an unknown group of aliens kidnaps her and the Excellent Idols. It is only the beginning of a wild interdimensional goose-chase that places Mimu in the position to save the world, if only she can believe in herself. Anime based on simplistic games can't turn out well, this is just another proof of that ... and it manages to be even unfunny.   Overall Rating: 4/10   8. Bishoujo Yuugekitai Battle Skipper Battle Skipper 美少女遊撃隊バトルスキッパー [Artmic] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Mecha Comedy, Sci-Fi Despite the title, this is not a feature but the three-part OAV Battle Skipper (1995), which Takashi Watanabe directed before going on to Slayers. When the members of the Etiquette Club at St. Ignacio's School for Girls go down the tubes--literally--they acquire the skimpy outfits they wear to pilot the unfortunately named BSs or Battle Skippers, state-of-the-art military mecha. As "Extars," the Etiquette Club members fight to eliminate evil from the world, which means the bizarre schemes of Sayaka, the nasty, super-rich president of the rival Debutante Club, and her flunky, Todo. The series was created to promote a line of robot toys from Tomy, and viewers who are willing to accept high school girls' quarrels escalating into battles involving satellite weaponry may enjoy these silly adventures. It's a poorly paced bad humor boring parody with obligatory transformation scenes.   Overall Rating: 4/10   9. Mimi wo Sumaseba Whisper of the Heart 耳をすませば [Studio Ghibli] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Drama, Romance, Slice of Life Shizuku Tsukishima is an energetic 14-year-old girl who enjoys reading and writing poetry in her free time. Glancing at the checkout cards of her books one evening, she notices that her library books are frequently checked out by a boy named Seiji Amasawa. Curiosity strikes Shizuku, and she decides to search for the boy who shares her love for literature. Meeting a peculiar cat on the train, Shizuku follows the animal and is eventually led to a quaint antique shop, where she learns about a cat statuette known as "The Baron." Taking an interest in the shop, she surprisingly finds Seiji, and the two quickly befriend one another. Shizuku learns while acquainting herself with Seiji that he has a dream that he would like to fulfill, causing her dismay as she remains uncertain of her future and has yet to recognize her talents. However, as her relationship with Seiji grows, Shizuku becomes determined to work toward a goal. Guided by the whispers of her heart and inspiration from The Baron, she resolves to carve out her own potential and dreams. Well, that's a LOT of cringe. At first ever the same constantly running and out of breath Ghibli girl doing same SOL school stuff and meeting the same Ghibli a bit older and ironic boy. And all we get to know from the second half is that dream is to be writer , so a bunch of random fragmentary stories are thrown in . I notice so many same Ghibli manipulation moves, the same song to build everything around and a super cheesy ending that I want to facepalm in each occasion. Third in a row pretentious weak Ghibli work already. Just gah.   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Slayers: The Motion Picture 劇場版スレイヤーズ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy In this prequel movie to the Slayers televison series, Lina Inverse travels to Mipross Island with her rival/traveling companion Naga the Serpent. While they originally came for the hot springs, they soon find them selves mixed up in a conspiracy involving a mazoku named Joyrock. Years ago, he killed all of the elves that inhabited the island and absorbed their power. They are soon joined by an old mage named Rowdy Gabriev, who was in love with one of the elves slaughtered and also wants to defeat Joyrock. Just a fanservice prequel that can't change initial attitude to the franchise.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Slam Dunk: Hoero Basketman-damashii! Hanamichi to Rukawa no Atsuki Natsu スラムダンク 吠えろバスケットマン魂!!花道と流川の熱き夏 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen School, Team Sports Ichiro Mizusawa, a player from Rukawa's old junior high school, Tomigoaka, is diagnosed with a crippling leg condition and wants to play one last game with Rukawa. Hanamichi sets out to help the boy and fulfill his wish. All Slam Dunk movies are some 40 minutes long (or short). But every movie looked the same with some match in the center and a bit of humor on the sides . This time it's finally got more human dimension instead.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Anne no Nikki The Diary of Anne Frank アンネの日記 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Drama Amsterdam, June 12, 1942. Anne celebrates her 13th birthday and begins her diary, which she calls "Kitty". Hiding for two years from the German threat, the young girl writes about her idealistic views on the world, her ambitions, her fears and her first love, Peter. It's normal to that extent that it can be called boring.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Hajimari no Boukensha-tachi: Legend of Crystania Legend of Crystania: The Motion Picture はじまりの冒険者たち レジェンド・オブ・クリスタニア [Triangle Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural Ashram, desperate to find a home for his people, is tricked into selling his soul. 300 years later, Pirotesse's devotion to her king remains unshaken. In the sacred world of Crystania, amidst a civil war waged by shape-changing warriors, she searches for her beloved Ashram. She meets Redon, a young prince obsessed with avenging his murdered parents. Together, they confront Ashram's captor -- the bloodthirsty Barbas, who aspires to rule Crystania as "The God's King". A hasty, yet decent fantasy RPG story with focus on animals and shapechangers.   Overall Rating: 6/10   14. Ninkuu (Movie) 忍空 [Pierrot] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Historical, Martial Arts Action, Adventure, Comedy How much humiliation can four people and a penguin take? Hard boiled Aito? Sexy bombshell Rihoko? Choji the red brief? Shining Fuusuke? Cutesy Hooter Hiroyuki? Oh, gimme a break! Who do these guys think they are? The Ninku? Unfortunately for the real Aito, Choji, Rihoko, and Fuusuke, they do. But little did these imposters know when they stumbled on this sleepy little desert town, that there’d be a price to pay for being treated like the real Ninku, namely, having to fight the deadly Heaven & Earth brothers! Fortunately for our phony friends, the real Aito, Choji, and Fuusuke step in, there’s nothing but trouble for the bad guys. Can the Ninku art of magic fighting beat the Heaven & Earth brothers deadly fighting style? For a 25-minute special it's fun enough, though fans only and nothing big.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Kazu & Yasu Hero Tanjou KAZU&YASU ヒーロー誕生 [Triangle Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Sports Based on the real life events. Biography animation depicting the football careers of Kazuyoshi Miura and his elder brother Yasutoshi. Not translated. I don't like spokons and I don't like real biographies, so how would I evaluate this...   Overall Rating: 5/10
  13. kivandopulus
    I highlighted few comedies, but here is another one that I can call a masterpiece - Ike! Ina-chuu Takkyuubu   1. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing 新機動戦記ガンダムW [Sunrise] (Finished 3/49) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi The United Earth Sphere Alliance is a powerful military organization that has ruled over Earth and space colonies with an iron fist for several decades. When the colonies proclaimed their opposition to this, their leader was assassinated. Now, in the year After Colony 195, bitter colonial rebels have launched "Operation Meteor," sending five powerful mobile suits to Earth for vengeance. Built out of virtually indestructible material called Gundanium Alloy, these "Gundams" begin an assault against the Alliance and its sub organization OZ. One Gundam, whose pilot has taken the name of the slain colony leader Heero Yuy, is forced to make a crash landing into the ocean after an atmospheric battle against OZ's ace pilot Zechs Marquise. Upon coming ashore, he is found by Relena Peacecraft, daughter of a peace-seeking politician, who witnesses Heero's descent to Earth. Although neither of them realize it yet, this encounter will have a profound impact on both their lives, as well as those on Earth and in space colonies. Last Gundam was a gust of fresh air, now it's again return to the stale roots as Sunrise rigidly refuses to evolve.   Overall Rating: 4/10   2. Slayers スレイヤーズ [E&G Films] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Mythology Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Powerful, avaricious sorceress Lina Inverse travels around the world, stealing treasures from bandits who cross her path. Her latest victims, a band of thieves, wait in ambush in a forest, thirsting for revenge. When Lina is about to effortlessly pummel her would-be attackers, the swordsman Gourry Gabriev suddenly announces his presence. Assuming Lina to be a damsel in distress, the foolish yet magnanimous man confronts the brigands in order to rescue her. After defeating them posthaste, the oblivious cavalier decides to escort Lina to Atlas City. Though not very keen on this idea, she ends up accepting his offer. However, without realizing it, Lina has chanced upon a mighty magical item among her most recent spoils. Now two mysterious men are hunting the young magician and her self-proclaimed guardian to obtain this powerful object for apparently nefarious purposes. This way they begin their adventure, one where the fate of the world itself may be at stake. Many people are probably aware of Slayers. I watched it fully, but never considered it a masterpiece even many years ago let alone now.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Fushigi Yuugi Mysterious Play ふしぎ遊戯 [Pierrot] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shoujo Historical, Isekai, Martial Arts, Reverse Harem Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance During a visit to the National Library, Miaka Yuuki and Yui Hongo stumble upon a strange old book that casts a red light, sucking them inside its unfamiliar world. Upon arrival, the two encounter hostile slave traders and barely escape with the help of Tamahome—a powerful young man bearing a Chinese symbol on his forehead. But, a moment later, the red light returns and takes Yui away. Desperate to reunite with her companion, Miaka asks Tamahome for assistance. However, the situation escalates when the pair encounters the land's emperor, Hotohori, who believes Miaka is the foretold priestess of the kingdom's protector god Suzaku. By gathering the god's seven Celestial Warriors, the priestess can summon Suzaku and have all her wishes granted. Hotohori hopes this will save his country, and since it appears to be a fitting solution to the girl's problems as well, he convinces her to accept the role. Meanwhile, at the library, Yui realizes she has been brought back alone. Unable to intervene, she helplessly witnesses Miaka traversing through courageous trials as the mysterious book's heroine. This show has enough charm, but can be easier enjoyed by women due to the fact that male characters are ok while protagonist Miaka can be super irritating with her eternally naïve and carefree attitude to everything .   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS 美少女戦士セーラームーン Super S [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Fantasy, Romance SuperS centers heavily on Chibi-usa and the Sailor Team. A new enemy, the Dead Moon Circus, has now appeared. Their motive is to find the Golden Dream Mirror that would be used to rule the world. To do this, the enemy attacks innocent victims for their Dream Mirrors and test their energy. Chibi-usa also has a new ally on her side, Pegasus. This season also sees the Sailor Senshi obtaining new powers. Always nice to have a shift of focus to side characters, the second half of each episode is still some boss and battle.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Tenchi Muyou! 天地無用！ [AIC] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Shounen Harem, Space Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi Tenchi Masaki's life changes forever when the ship of an infamous space pirate, Ryouko Hakubi, is shot down and crashes near his family's temple. Little did Tenchi know that by saving Ryouko, he would spark a series of events that would lead alien women from all walks of life to inhabit his home. This includes the delicate Princess Aeka of Jurai and her playful younger sister Princess Sasami; the scatterbrained first-class detective Mihoshi Kuramitsu and her more capable partner Kiyone Makibi; and the eccentric, mad scientist Washuu Hakubi. The six women do their best to adapt to their new lives, but their more advanced and exotic lifestyle does not mesh well with the simplistic customs on Earth. As a result, they just end up making a mess and causing trouble for poor Tenchi. Though the girls are a pain, Tenchi begins to form a close relationship with each of them, and through their bond, he begins to gain a better understanding of his role in the universe. It's on comparable level with second OVA 6 episodes, still can't enjoy these characters though.   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Magic Knight Rayearth II 魔法騎士（マジックナイト）レイアース II [TMS Entertainment]  (Finished 3/29) Tags: Isekai, Mahou Shoujo, Mecha Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance Little time has passed since the Magic Knights’ final confrontation with Princess Emeraude’s "Mashin." Still haunted by the princess’ death, Hikaru Shidou returns to Tokyo Tower. There, she meets her friends Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Hououji for the first time since their spontaneous quest to save Cephiro. Plagued by nightmares of the realm she had left behind, Hikaru is relieved to find that her companions too want to return and serve the kingdom they once so dutifully protected. The Magic Knights’ wish is answered, for at the top of Tokyo Tower, the three are blinded by the same great light they had seen on the day they first met. Once more on the back of a flying fish, the group returns to Cephiro—a world now desolate and in ruins. With the collapse of the Pillar's power, monsters freely roam the land while three nations seek to annex Cephiro with hopes of seizing the Pillar for themselves. Complicating things further is the mysterious Lady Debonair, who proclaims herself to be the rightful heir of the fallen country. Now confronting graver stakes and radically different enemies, the three Magic Knights set forth once more to save Cephiro and bring peace. With the bonds they have forged together, the trio stands united in the face of such a great challenge. Can't compete with first season impact, but quality is still higher than average .   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Street Fighter II V Street Fighter II: The Animated Series ストリートファイターII V [Group TAC] (Finished 3/29) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Drama, Mystery Ryu and Ken Masters are close friends and both are martial artists. In order to become better fighters and learn new techniques, they travel the world and are exposed to many different fighting styles, as well as meeting new people. During their journey, they find themselves caught up in a conspiracy perpetrated by a mysterious organisation called Shadowlaw, both now face their ultimate challenge and must fight for their lives as they combat the evil M. Bison. Wow, first time game receives two-season long series. Main problems are slow pacing , some slacking on animations and unfaithful adaptation of side-characters from the game. Story also does not strike as anything but average.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Ai Tenshi Densetsu Wedding Peach Wedding Peach 愛天使伝説 ウェディングピーチ [OLM] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Comedy, Fantasy, Romance There are three known worlds—the human world, the angel world, and the devil world. The evil queen Raindevilla yearns to destroy the angel world with help or her many devil minions. The goddess Aphrodite sends an angel to the human world, Limone, to summon three love angels in the form of three school girls, Momoko Hanasaki, Yuri Tanima, and Hinagiku Tamano, who together become Angel Lilly, Angel Daisy, and Wedding Peach. The three girls must fight to overcome the evils of the devils, as well as their own lives, and restore peace to the angel world by gathering all pieces of the Sacred Four Somethings (or Saint Something Four) and defeat the evil queen once and for all. Can't help but notice that it's another Sailor Moon imitation. As for me, it does not live up to decent status.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Ike! Ina-chuu Takkyuubu The Ping-Pong Club 行け! 稲中卓球部 [Grouper Productions] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Gag Humor, School Comedy, Ecchi When the Inaho Junior High Ping-Pong Club grows apathetic about an upcoming tournament, their new manager, Kyoko Iwashita, boosts their morale with something they cannot refuse—a "sex pass," a voucher that grants the best player on the team unadulterated access to her body for a whole month. This is just one of many ways that this peculiar ping-pong club exceeds the realm of normalcy. Among the Ping-Pong Club's six members, Maeno proves to be the most troublesome, discovering bizarre ways to distract the team each day. With the others contributing to these mischievous acts, Takeda—the captain of the club—tries his hardest to put up with the team's antics. But when popular vice-captain Yuusuke Kinoshita is being swept away by girls, he instead finds himself receiving support from the stern but resilient manager, Kyoko. With the ever-present risk of their team being dissolved, Takeda and his friends find themselves having to overcome numerous obstacles. While Maeno often appears to put the club in jeopardy, it is usually he who devises schemes that are just so crazy that they have a chance of working. Can Maeno and his ludicrous stunts help his team persevere, or will they continue to just be a nuisance to the Ping-Pong Club? Wow, this is something. I still don't like nonsense and absurd humor, but unlike Magical Circle Guru Guru or Akazukin Chacha or High School Kimengumi humor here is event and context based , not random though mostly below the waist one. The main question for me is whether it can be 8 just as Crayon Shin-chan, and my answer is that Crayon Shin-chan has the upper hand here as more integral and having characters that are as funny as Shin-chan (mainly, kindergarten caretaker, book shop pair and student having baito at different shops) .   Overall Rating: 7/10   10. Azuki-chan あずきちゃん [Madhouse] (Finished 1/117) Tags: Shoujo Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life Azusa Noyama is a 12-year-old girl student, taking 5th grade, but everyone knows her as Azuki-Chan, nickname that she dislikes. Yuunosuke Ogasawara, a new student, asks her about her nickname, saying that he likes it. Azuki falls in love with him, and they start going out together. They share a diary, and become boyfriend and girlfriend. Just one episode is translated. It's cute and sincere and has cool 90s romantic features like wired phones and diaries, so decent overall .   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Tobe! Isami Soar High! Isami 飛べ！イサミ [Group TAC] (Finished 6/50) Tags:  Shounen Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance Isami Hanaoka is just a fifth grader who happens to be a descendant of the Shinsengumi. Together with fellow descendants and classmates Soushi Yukimi and Toshi Tsukikage, she discovers in the basement of her home, strange artifacts left behind by their ancestors as well as a message urging them to "Fight the evil Kurotengu organization." 15 episodes are translated so far. It's about small kids, pacing is horrible, and story barely even started to develop by the end of 6th episode. Very average as there's nothing interesting for me here .   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Juusenshi Gulkeeva Wild Knights Gulkeeva 獣戦士ガルキーバ [Sunrise] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mecha, Super Power Action, Fantasy The world we live in is called Earthside in this story. There are the other worlds called Nosfertia, Heavenstia, and Eternalia. When Darknoids from Nosfertia begun invasion to Earthside, Heavenstia sent 3 Animanoids (beast-humans) to prevent it. The lead character Touya had believed that he was a mere human but found he was actually a being of Eternalia. With the help of 3 Animanoids, Touya fights to defend Earthside. Another painfully bad Sunrise mecha from the 70s or so it should be to feel even remotely ok.   Overall Rating: 4/10   13. Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger 十二戦支　爆烈エトレンジャー [Shaft] (Finished 4/39) Tags: Action, Comedy, Fantasy The Eto Rangers ride in Space-Time Transmitting Machine Kirinda to repair the Novel Worlds of Mugen. The Eto Rangers themselves are anthropomorphic animals, each representing one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals (and The Twelve Branches in Buddhism). In Japan they are known as the Eto animals. The Novel Worlds are stories created by the human imagination, such as old folk tales as well as newer books. These living worlds play out repeatedly, and are necessary for the good of humanity. Princess Aura rules Mugen, which is an island continent hanging over an ocean from the skybound Novel Pole. The Great God Goal gives her power, but she may never leave the small palace island area. Their nemesis is the forgotten Spirit of Cats, Nyanma (real name, Chocolat), who was excluded from the choice of 12 protectors by being disqualified from the race (in actual legend there are many versions of this story). She seeks her revenge by distorting Novel Worlds with Jarei Monsters. When a Jarei Monster goes to a Novel World they alter the story, turning it into a different version, sometimes a parody of itself. Bakumaru, the Spirit of Mice, must use the Genmakyou mirror to reveal ("Jarei Shouran!") the evil spirit once enough clues lead to its identity. Often the Eto Rangers must play out some of the story to find out who or what it is, sometimes even taking on the role of one of the characters in the tale. After defeating the creature, Kirinda is called when Bakumaru holds up his hand with one of Aura's 12 gems on it and calls out "Daikourin Kirinda!" Kirinda descends from a dimensional slit and purifies the evil spirit with a beam weapon, calling out "Jouka!" (Purification). No idea how it managed to get rating PG13+, maybe because of mild violence. It's a show for kids and I can hardly imagine children over some 8 years old to take any interest in it initially if they get a choice of several shows. It looks a lot like Chip n' Dale and feels remotely similar...   Overall Rating: 4/10   14. Kyouryuu Boukenki Jura Tripper 恐竜冒険記ジュラトリッパー [Production Reed] (Finished 4/39) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi  On a school yachting trip, fifteen children of various ages are mysteriously transported to another world where dinosaurs still roam. While attempting to return home, they encounter talking dinosaurs, revolutionaries, pirates, a princess and primitive scientists. These unlikely allies help them escape from soldiers, bandits, vicious dinosaurs, and fanatical priests. Aggression between the two oldest boys leads to a split in ranks, and a sneaky double cross plot. Unlikely romances bloom in this tense atmosphere, and the group learns that each has strengths that can help them get home, if they work together. Loosely based on the book Deux ans De Vacances, by Jules Verne from 1888. Only four episodes are translated. Setting itself is only mildly amusing, but communication and relations feel good. I might watch it to the end if it was translated.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Sekai Meisaku Douwa: Wow! Maerchen Oukoku アニメ世界の童話 / メルヘン王国  [Toei Animation] (Finished 0/26) Tags: Fantasy Based on Western tales from the usual suspects: 1001 Nights, C. Perrault, Beaumont, J. & W. Grimm, H. C. Andersen, C. Collodi, English fairytale, H. Pyle, L. Carrol, J. Swift, A. Dumas, E. T. A Hoffman, L. F. Baum, and J. Spyri. Only 21 stories were broadcast, with the last five being released on VHS. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   16. Kuma no Puutarou クマのプー太郎 [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/30) Tags: Comedy  The series depicts Puutarou's peculiar encounters with his bizarre neighbors. Not translated. From one random episode can confirm it's a decent absurd comedy.   Overall Rating: 6/10   17. El Hazard: The Magnificent World 神秘の世界エルハザード [AIC] (Finished 7/7) Tags: Isekai Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance After Makoto Mizuhara agrees to testify against the boisterous student council president Katsuhiko Jinnai for bribing school clubs in the recent student council elections, Jinnai chases him down in an attempt to silence his self-proclaimed rival. Suddenly, during the chase, time stops for everyone—except Makoto. Perplexed, he wanders around the campus until he notices a light coming from the school's closed-off basement, where an ancient relic had just been uncovered. Makoto is walking toward the artifact surrounded by strings of light, when out of it comes an otherworldly woman who claims she has been waiting for ten thousand years to see him. Weakened by the passage of time, she uses her remaining power to transport a confused Makoto to another world, which she refers to as El-Hazard. However, others who are still at school are also caught in the spell, namely: Jinnai; Masamichi Fujisawa, the alcoholic teacher; and Nanami Jinnai, the headstrong sister of president Jinnai. The fantastical and magnificent world of El-Hazard awaits these four individuals where they will become entangled in the story of its inhabitants and embark on an adventure filled with laughter, danger, and even romance. Watched OVA earlier and never considered it a masterpiece even though I like Isekai. Transferring classmates with teachers and overall relaxed attitude really hurt the genre as there's no first impact of danger, investigation and adaptation. And I get familiar Tenchi harem notes here.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Fushigi no Kuni no Miyuki-chan Miyuki-chan in Wonderland 不思議の国の美幸ちゃん [animate Film] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy, Girls Love, Ecchi  Miyuki, a cute girl, is in over her head. When late for school, she is suddenly transported to another world (Alice In Wonderland style), except that all the inhabitants of the other world are female...and they all seem to be in love with Miyuki. And the world behind her mirror is even weirder. Both episodes together take only 28 minutes together. It's fantasy on Alice in Wonderland with only sexy females in lingerie or similar looking dresses inside. There's constant running or falling with short phrases thrown to or by other characters Miyuki meets. Since there's no sense in all that, score is appropriate .   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Hikyou Tanken Fam & Ihrlie Ruin Explorers Fam & Ihrie 秘境探検 ファム＆イーリー [Ajia-Do] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  Fam and Ihrie are willing to do almost anything to make a buck. So when these debt-driven damsels discover the potential profits to be hand in recovering a particularly dangerous mystical object, it means mortal peril for an entire civilization. There's no guarantee that they'll live long enough to squander the fabulous wealth they've been promised, and danger lurks around every turn as they cross dark seas in pursuit of legendary evil. Haunted by an unspeakable curse, plagued by doomsday prophecies, plotted against by untrustworthy traveling companions and looked in desperate race to gain the Ultimate Power, Fam and Ihrie are the Ruin Explorers! I tried to find at least something that would stand out as decent in this OVA... and I found exactly nothing. Pure averageness in every field. Horrible directorship, nonsense plot and inability to breathe life into characters make it utter waste of time .   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Saber Marionette R SMガールズ セイバーマリオネットR [animate Film, Zero-G Room] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Harem, Mecha Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi Jr., the heir of Romana and his battle sabers Cherry and Lime, who have girl circuits are enjoying their peaceful life in Romana. Suddenly, the evil Star-Face and his sexadolls attack Romana in order to take over so Star-Face can become the next High Official. In order to truly become the next High Official and ruler of Romana, he must first eliminate Jr. This begins a battle for, not only Jr.'s life, but for all of Romana. Very weak story material even with rather good implementation. I fail to find any appeal in here, so can't emphasize with anything happening.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Shin Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku 真・女神転生　東京黙示録 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Mythology Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Handsome and effeminate, quiet but proud, the sinister Akito Kobayashi has a passion for the occult and has developed a computer program to summon demons and the living dead. But little does he know that fellow high school students Kojirou Souma and Saki Yagami are reincarnations of powerful and benevolent spirits. When the pair's friends have become targeted by demons trying to harvest their life energies, they must harness their dark metaphysical powers to destroy Kobayashi's threatening program, or risk losing their loved ones forever. I've always had trouble describing genre/theme of Megami Tensei. And this title finally gave a good definition - Spiritual Ninja . This is one of the worst titles in franchise with nothing important happening in first episode and just some normal fighting action in the final episode .   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Dirty Pair Flash 2 ダーティペアFLASH 2 [Sunrise] (Finished 5/5) Tags: Detective Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Always causing more destruction than they prevent, special agents Kei and Yuri face tough challenges while at an amusement park planet. This anime set finds the pair facing off against an android hit woman, transvestite assassins, ghosts and more. In addition, the Lovely Angels get into several wild adventures while tracking down a con man and giving love advice to the computer programmer they're protecting. First flash was used as prequel to all the Dirty Pair series and showed how the two got acquainted, this time stage is the same as the main series. Yuri is still dumb as a chicken in contrast to original concept and it may be me , but forms have gone even bigger with more skimpy outfits. Only first and last episode bear meaning while middle three are variety fanservice themed. As for me, Sunrise is only worried about making $ , so short low-effort fanservice series is a seemingly good solution for that .   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Megami Paradise 女神天国 [animate Film] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Ecchi Mama Megami, the mother goddess and ruler of paradise is retiring. Her successor appoints a young mage named Lilith to be one of her guardians. Lilith's first assignment is to recruit two more worthy guardians for the new Mama Megami. Not an easy task, as Stashia, the first candidate on Lilith's short list is not interested. Lilith didn't even have a chance to ask the second person on the list, a warrior named Juliana due to a misunderstanding caused by Stashia's little sister Rurubell. Rurubell wants to be a guardian, but Lilith turned her down due to her very young age and lack of experience. Meanwhile, Paradise is under attack by an evil goddess who wants to dominate it, and it's up to Lilith, Stashia, Rurubell, and Juliana to thwart the attackers. Without normal plot there are only girls in bikini armor fighting each other and occasionally casting spells .   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Princess Minerva プリンセス ミネルバ [Group TAC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Parody Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Princess Minerva enters a tournament that offers the winner a fortune. But when her bodyguard gets kidnapped by an evil sorceress, things really start to heat up. And again bikini armor knights fight each other. This time there's even no aesthetic appreciation, so it's plain bad.   Overall Rating: 4/10   25. Sailor Victory 聖羅ヴィクトリー [animate Film] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Mecha Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi Five Female high school friends reunite as the secret crime-fighting organization known as Sailor Victory. Commanding 3 giant Ninja Robots, Gion, Momoyama and Sagano, they fight evil in the virtual-future city of Mikado. When a disgraced and disgruntled city official turns to the dark side, he joins forces with the evil and sinister Margarita. Graduation heroines wear sailor suits, drive mecha and flash with ecchi transformation scenes. As expected, nothing personal, just business, I mean fanservice.   Overall Rating: 4/10   26. Kouryuu no Mimi: Mina no Shou 黄龍の耳 [OLM] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Super Power Action, Drama Based on the manga by Inoue Noriyoshi, which has also had a Super Famicom game spinoff. Natsume Kiroemon, the protagonist, was the 45th leader of the Natsume family, and inherit the "Kiryuu no Mimi ", a tool which gave its bearer easy access to wealth and women. As a result of his father's death, he left the Italian monastery where he'd been training and rightfully took the name "Natsume Kiroemon" as well as the power of the Kiryuu no Mimi. Upon his return to Japan, he fell fatally in love with Kanako, one of the members of the rival Mina family. However, the evil hand of the Mina family attacked Natsume constantly and abducted Kanako. Now Natsume has unlocked the seal, making the Kiryuu's power surge, and he's striking back at the Mina family. What kind of plot is that, really...  Basically, it's ecchi, so plot hardly matters. Same as score.   Overall Rating: 4/10   27. Udauda Yatteru Hima wa Nee! ウダウダやってるヒマはねェ! [J.C.Staff] (Finished 0/2) Tags: Shounen Delinquents, School Action, Comedy Anime adaptation of the manga "Udauda Yatteru Hima wa Nee!" by Hideyuki Yonehara, serialized in Weekly Shounen Champion. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   28. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 03: Unkokusai no Yabou クレヨンしんちゃん 雲黒斎の野望 [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Historical Comedy, Sci-Fi A member of the Time Patrol finds out that there is a disturbance in Japan, 1570. While heading to that particular time and location to investigate, she is attacked and ends up stuck underground the Nohara residence at the end of the 20th century Japan. Having limited resources at hand, she is forced to ask for the help of the Nohara family. Together they go back in time and meet with a samurai named Fubuki-maru who believes that they are the legendary three persons and dog whom someone from her family would eventually meet in a crucial moment. The lonely samurai asks for their assistance in defeating the man that possesses strange magical powers, the sinister Unkokusai lord. The question for each new Shin-chan movie is whether it allows to understand characters better like first movie or it's just an exotic stage adventure like second movie. And the latter stands true, so the score is corresponding.   Overall Rating: 6/10   29. Seirei Tsukai Elementalors 精霊使い  [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural Based on the manga by Okazaki Takeshi begun in 1990. After a family tragedy, Kagura is left with only his beloved friend Asami for consolation. Meanwhile, there is a war beginning in the spiritual world. Beings known as "Elementalors" call upon power from spirits to maintain harmony in the world by balancing individual forces of nature. Lord Shiki, a water Elementalor, kidnaps Asami in order to use special powers she posesses to retrieve his daughter, who has been imprisioned for nearly destroying the Earth. Kagura discovers that he is also an Elementalor—a very powerful one. He must join forces with other Elementalors to save Asami and prevent Lord Shiki from causing a great imbalance by releasing his daughter. This show got good visuals and stage, pretty characters, ok action. But without memorable characters or interesting story it's all just typical and instantly forgettable one-shot.   Overall Rating: 5/10   30. Tobe! Pegasus Kokoro no Goal ni Shoot 翔べ! ペガサス 心のゴールにシュート [E&G Films] (Finished 0/1) Tags: School Sports  The movie is about the soccer team Pegasus created from the visually impaired children studying in the Chiba Prefectural School for the Blind. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10
  14. kivandopulus

    Anime of the Year 1995-I Winter - Armitage III

    By kivandopulus,


    Anime of the Year
    Since Maruko-chan can't participate in the contest due to absence of subbed episodes, there are no other masterpieces, and among others I favor Armitage III    1. Romeo no Aoi Sora Romeo and the Black Brothers ロミオの青い空  [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/33) Tags: Historical Adventure, Drama, Slice of Life Romeo is a kindhearted and courageous boy living with his family in a small village in Switzerland. Unfortunately, Romeo becomes the interest of a man named Luini, known as "The God of Death," who is infamous for buying children and selling them as chimney sweeps in Milan. While visiting the village, Luini burns down Romeo's family cornfield in an attempt to have Romeo as his own. With the cornfield gone and his father sustaining a head injury trying to put out the fire, Romeo bravely sells himself to the God of Death in order to help his family afford a doctor. On his way to Milan, Romeo meets a boy named Alfredo Martini and they quickly become friends. Just as Alfredo is sold to a different master, the two boys swear eternal friendship and vow to meet again. As a chimney sweep, Romeo faces many hardships and abuse, especially from his master's family and a gang known as the Wolf Pack. But after reuniting with Alfredo, the two form a fraternity of chimney sweeps called "The Black Brothers," who will learn to fight against the Wolf Pack and help each other in times of need. World masterpiece series... sigh. It's above average story that teaches kids of friendship and the harsh world that is around... but how it can be of use to adults is beyond my understanding.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Kishin Douji Zenki Zenki 鬼神童子ZENKI [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Shounen Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Ecchi In ancient times, a great battle was waged between a master mage, Enno Ozuno, and an evil demon goddess, Karuma. Unfortunately, Enno didn't have the strength to defeat her alone and was forced to call upon Zenki, a powerful protector demon. After Karuma was defeated, Enno sealed Zenki away in a pillar located inside his temple. 1,200 years after this epic battle, Enno's descendant, Chiaki, spends her days showing tourists around her hometown of Shikigami-cho and doing exorcisms to pay the bills. One day, two thieves enter the town in hopes of opening a seal in the Ozuno temple and releasing the hidden treasure from within. However, what actually pops out is a dark entity that attaches itself to the henchmen, transforming them into demonic beings. After this transformation, they begin a rampage through the temple, terrorizing poor Chiaki. It is now up to this young progeny to unleash her family's powers to summon Zenki and save Shikigami-cho from these demons, as well as the evil entities sure to follow in their footsteps. It feels a lot like Sailor Moon with more focus on Tuxedo Mask who is here played by Zenki. Same looking arcs with a lot of fillers and possessed civilians in most episodes. The approach similarities in details are even more striking. Still, there's more shounen feeling in here, so it's more comfortable to watch that Sailor Moon for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Ninkuu 忍空 [Pierrot] (Finished 3/55) Tags: Shounen Adventure In the war, a group of warriors called Ninku fought against the Imperial Army and almost annihilated it. But in the end, the Ninku lost and got shattered. After the war, the imperial army established themselves as the defender of the people with the help of propaganda. They also managed to get the people to think the Ninku were the villains and had started the war. Fusuke looks like a child but he is the former captain of the first Ninku division. His mother was taken during the war and after the Ninku were defeated, he goes on a journey to find her. On his journey he meets Aicho and Touji, both also former Ninku captains, and together they fight against the imperial army that tries to kill the last remaining Ninkus. The ninku is a clan of extinct ninjas who command esoteric and powerful techniques, hence a lot of other groups are constantly trying to steal their techniques to take over the country. Their primary target is Fusuke, a weird looking kid but one of the most powerful Ninku ninja. Fusuke, together with other Ninku ninja with different specialties must fight those threat that caused the downfall of the Ninku clan. As expected, unlike prequel special, series benefits a lot from more developed characters and much better humor. It does not go further than amusing, though.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Chibi Maruko-chan (1995) ちびまる子ちゃん [Nippon Animation] (Finished 0/?) Tags: Shoujo School Comedy, Slice of Life Momoko Sakura is an elementary school student who likes popular idol Momoe Yamaguchi and mangas. She is often called "Chibi Maruko-chan" due to her young age and small size. She lives together with her parents, her grandparents and her elder sister in a little town. In school, she has many friends with whom she studies and plays together everyday, including her close pal, Tama-chan; the student committee members, Maruo-kun and Migiwa-san; and the B-class trio: 'little master' Hanawa-kun, Hamaji-Bu Taro and Sekiguchi-kun. This is a fun-loving and enjoyable anime that portrays the simple things in life. I'm actually surprised to know there's this sequel that lasts up to our days with over a thousand of episodes. But I hate dub and without subs I refuse to watch it completely. And I agree that prequel is superior to this sequel due to more complex visual style and that prequel deserves translators attention as first priority while this season can wait. Since there are no subbed episodes now, there's nothing to watch or discuss.   Overall Rating: 0/10   5. Ougon Yuusha Goldran The Brave of Gold Goldran 黄金勇者ゴルドラン [Sunrise] (Finished 3/48) Tags: Shounen Mecha Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Goldran follows the adventures of three young boys who are tasked with finding alien robot fighters, or Braves, that are sleeping in the form of crystals. Their major antagonist is the flamboyant and thoroughly incompetent Walter, and the villains that follow him are often similarly humorous. Just stop, Sunrise. You're hurting yourself and everyone around with all these fake shows looking totally the same.   Overall Rating: 4/10   6. Kuusou Kagaku Sekai Gulliver Boy Fantascience World Gulliver Boy 空想科学世界ガリバーボーイ [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/50) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Fantasy Gulliver, a boy born with the ability to use magic was forced against his will to attend a magician school to improve his abilities to protect his city. He manages to escape just to find out that his home town was destroyed by the evil Judau's army. Judau personally kills his father and oaths to kill Gulliver as well. Meanwhile Gulliver and his friend Eddison rescue a girl named Misty who is running away from Judau. Along with a fairy named Phoebe, a lone wolf ninja named Gecko and an ancient ship; Gulliver and his friends set out on an adventure to defeat Judau and to discover the secrets of Atlantis. Only 11 episodes are translated so far. It feels like another Dragon Ball imitation, and not the best one.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Armitage III アミテージ・ザ・サード [AIC] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Detective, Mecha Action, Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi The year is 2046. Detective Ross Sylibus is transferred to Mars when a country singer on her flight is murdered. Making matters more complicated is that the singer is a "Third"—a robot that looks and feels like a human. Sylibus is partnered with Armitage—a beautiful female cop with a bad attitude. As they investigate the murder of the singer and other women on Mars, they uncover a conspiracy that can have them both killed by the Martian government. I love style and stage here, but without a good story it's just aimless development with poor directorship, open lines retained and a rushed unsatisfying ending. I have big hopes for sequels, but this original OVA is surprisingly shallow for a cyberpunk story .   Overall Rating: 6/10   8. DNA² OVA D・N・A2～何処かで失くしたあいつのアイツ～ (1995) [Madhouse] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Time Travel Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi Junta's great granddaughter goes back in time in order to make Junta stay as the Mega-Playboy so she can continue to exist. Along with her comes an old man with the intention of making Junta stay as the Mega-Playboy forever for his own purposes. When Junta starts getting attacked, he has no choice but to return to being the Mega-Playboy in order to protect his loved ones. If series was going downhill, OVA is the bottom point nullifying the whole direction of the series and accumulating all the bad traits.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Iczer-Girl Iczelion Iczelion [AIC] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi  Iczelion, the final entry in the "Icz" series, is a departure from the previous storyline in most resepcts. Throughout the galaxy, two villians destory and pillage anything in their path. Their names are Cross and Chaos, and they are ready to invade their next target: Earth. The only defense against these warriors are the Iczelions, a fusion of young girls, and Iczels, sentient body armor. Nagisa is a typical high school girl who is about to become the next Iczelion against her will, to defend the planet and save the human race! But not if she has anything to say about it... Prequel was horribly plain, but there's no limit to perfection or rather to aggravation.   Overall Rating: 4/10   10. Sotsugyou: Graduation Graduation 卒業~Graduation~ [animate Film] (Finished 2/2) Tags: School Drama Regardless of how students handle the many academic challenges facing them, they all know that there will come a day when they will leave all the hurdles of scholastic achievement behind and tackle the triumphs and sorrows of true adulthood. One thing that many young people don`t realize is that this often means leaving behind the friends that have been with them through their youth. A very simple slice anime based on even more simple visual novel.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Makeruna! Makendou 負けるな！魔剣道  [OLM] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Comedy Makenko used to be a normal boy—until he was kidnapped by the brain monster Dr. Mud and transformed into a cyborg capable of destroying both the monster and human worlds! On his quest for vengeance, he is inadvertently joined by Makendo, a fellow monster hunter who would prefer not to be, and her little sister Hikari who would like nothing better! Dastardly demons and wacky monsters abound as the trio fight the bad guys to kick some monster butt, and get Makenko's body back! Since source is a game, no one bothers to explain anything here, and all the ridiculous stuff gets over in just 28 minutes. Oh, and it's ecchi.   Overall Rating: 4/10   12. Utsukushii Chikyuu wo Yogosanai de Cry for Our Beautiful World 美しい地球をよごさないで  [-] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Drama Nana is a 3rd grader who finds a strange picture book. She's able to jump into the book and be friends with the girl in it as they traveled around the work. She learns about the innocent cries of children all around the world suffering from pollution. The video has some live action segements. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   13. Atashi Tenshi Anata Akuma あたし天使あなた悪魔 [-] (Finished 0/2) Tags: Childcare  - Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   14. Slam Dunk: Shouhoku Saidai no Kiki! Moero Sakuragi Hanamichi スラムダンク 湘北最大の危機！燃えろ桜木花道 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen School, Team Sports After losing the titanic match against Kainan High, Team Shohoku and a newly shaven Hanamichi Sakuragi are challenged to an exhibition match by virtual basketball unknowns Ryoukufu High. Coach Anzai sees this as an opportunity for Shohoku to regain their confidence, but Ryoukufu are revealed to have a newly assembled championship calibre lineup and may give Sakuragi & Co their toughest test yet. Another movie that looks like a paired episode of the series.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Marmalade Boy Movie ママレード・ボーイ (1995) [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Romance A prelude to Marmalade Boy the TV series. Yuu remembers the day when his parents decided to divorce each other and remarry with another married couple. Troubled by the news, Yuu decides to take a walk, on which he spots a girl he falls in love with at first sight. He decides to follow this unaware girl and falls more in love with her. However he discovers who the girl really is...she's the daughter of his parents' new lovers. 26 minutes makes it a single episode made for series fans.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Junkers Come Here ユンカース・カム・ヒア [Triangle Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Slice of Life  Sixth grade student Hiromi Nozawa leads a troubled life. With her parents frequently absent due to work, one of her only companions is her talking dog, Junkers. Though Hiromi puts on a brave face for the public, the stark reality is that she is heavily stressed, and she shares this side of herself only with Junkers. After hearing that her parents are considering divorce, Hiromi's stress reaches an all-time high; at this time, Junkers reveals that he has the ability to make three miracles occur. Given the potential of this newfound power, Hiromi must wish carefully—as obtaining what she thinks she wants may end up hurting those she cares about most. It starts like Mikan , just with a cute talking dog who has to conceal from grown-ups that he can talk, then he says he can make three wishes come true, and then it's all about parents getting divorced and selfishness. It feels like Triangle Staff thought of itself as of Studio Ghibli, but just made a mess that I can't recommend to anyone for watching .   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Boku no Chikyuu wo Mamotte: Alice kara, Rin-kun e Please Save My Earth Movie: From Alice to Rin-kun ぼくの地球を守って～亜梨子から、輪くんへ～ [Production I.G] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Shoujo Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi Please Save My Earth Movie: From Alice to Rin-kun is a two-hour movie narrated by Alice, reminiscing on the events of the OVA as she is on her way to meet with Rin in a park. The "present day" scenes of Alice and Rin from the movie add scenes that were not present in the manga. Not found and happy about it.   Overall Rating: 0/10   18. Yamiyo no Jidaigeki 闇夜の時代劇 [Sunrise] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Historical Horror Tales include: The Hill of Old Age, which tells of a conspiracy hatched against Japan's unifier, Oda Nobunaga. Seeing the Truth, about the assassin sent to murder Nobunaga's successor leyasu Tokugawa. The broadcast was a part of the Neo Hyper Kids program. Not translated. First OVA episode is not anime despite the title. It's manga strips with voiceover. Second episode tries to use as little animation as possible and often turns into black and white. Since it's mostly talks, kinda useless to watch it without subs.    Overall Rating: 4/10
  15. kivandopulus

    Anime of the Year 1994-IV Fall - Blue Seed

    By kivandopulus,


    Anime of the Year
    Blue Seed surprised me a lot this season climbing up in the masterpiece league.    1. Magic Knight Rayearth 魔法騎士（マジックナイト）レイアース [Tokyo Movie Shinsha] (Finished 4/20) Tags: Shoujo Isekai, Mecha Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji are strangers brought together by fate when they meet during a seemingly normal field trip to Tokyo Tower. Accompanied by a great flash of light, they hear a mysterious woman's plea to save "Cephiro," and the junior high heroines are suddenly swept away by a giant flying fish. Afterwards, they arrive in an unknown land, where they encounter a man called Master Mage Clef. Clef informs the girls that they were summoned by Princess Emeraude to fulfill their destinies as Magic Knights, restoring peace and balance in Cephiro. The formerly lively and peaceful land has been in disarray ever since High Priest Zagato imprisoned the princess, who acted as Cephiro's pillar of stability. The Magic Knights reluctantly accept Clef's words as truth and embark on a journey to save Cephiro from the clutches of evil. A logical and easy to watch show and even with some basic RPG qualities. It also seems to be the first anime where SD characters are used occasionally for humor moments just as we often have nowadays. A the same time plot is simple and characters are quite simple as well. Brilliant execution of not too interesting material, but that is not enough for a masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. DNA² Ｄ・Ｎ・Ａ²　～何処かで失くしたあいつのアイツ～ [Madhouse, Studio Deen] (Finished 4/12) Tags: Time Travel Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi Karin, a DNA operator from the future, is on a mission to change the course of History by stopping Junta Momonari from becoming the Mega-Playboy who fathered 100 children and led to the overpopulation of the world. But Junta is no playboy; in fact he is allergic to girls. But when Karin shoots him with the wrong DNA-altering bullet, he starts sporadically becoming the Mega-Playboy capable of charming any woman. Karin must try to restore the situation to normal before the change to Mega-Playboy becomes irreversible. Show starts really strong, but manages to get worse and worse with each following episode. In episode 2 we get to learn that in macho mode Junta is also super strong so it becomes action. As early as in episode 3 the first signs of disaster show up, and it only goes downhill from there.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Macross 7 マクロス７ [Production Reed] (Finished 3/49) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Military, Music, Space Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi 35 years have passed since Lynn Minmay had brought peace between the Zentradi and the humans in the events of Macross. Nekki Basara is a guitarist and a singer of the band Fire Bomber. Living in a less-developed part of the flying colony City 7 which is looking for a habitable planet, he composes and sings songs in the belief that music holds a greater power. During its flight, an unknown alien race appeared and started laying siege upon City 7. However, its attacks are not conventional -- instead of trying to destroy them, they steal what is known as "spiritia", rendering victims unresponsive and zombie-like. During these battles, Basara always goes out into the middle of the warzone, singing his songs and expecting friend and foe to listen and be moved by his music. Macross Plus felt like a side-story, but it had a normal concept, not music defeats evil. Macross 7 is return to the roots with emphasized battle music meaning. Macross 7 is polarizing even among fans, and I consider it to be the worst series in the franchise.   Overall Rating: 4/10   4. Blue Seed ブルーシード [Production I.G, Production Reed] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Mythology Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Momiji is an average girl until the day she finds she is the descendant of the great Kushinada family. Only she, with her Kushinada blood, can stop the Aragami, demonic plant-like monsters threatening to destroy Japan. Along to help her is the TAC, and a possible love interest in a young man named Kusanagi. A unique mix of action, mystery and unusually serious plot. There are also a lot of characters to shine and no babysitting them. Momiji despite frail nature has a great fighting spirit and resolve while Kusanagi is a cool cynical bakemono. Lots of greatly shaped beasts. It's refreshing when viewers are not regarded as idiots or kids. I did not expect anything from this show, but I managed to enjoy it. I heard this anime was aired in the USA which is terrific as roughly from this show anime stops to be treated as entertainment for kids and gets to be treated seriously.   Overall Rating: 7/10   5. Captain Tsubasa J キャプテン翼Ｊ [Studio Comet] (Finished 3/47) Tags: Shounen Action, Sports The first 33 episodes are a summary of the previous series. In the first new episodes a new character, Shingo Aoi, (playing in Italy) is introduced. After that the world cup begins, this time with extraordinary, new countries like Sweden, Thailand or Uzbekistan. Unfortunately the Anime ends in the middle of the world cup after the match Japan-Uzbekistan. Just great, start with retelling the original season so that I watch the same stuff yet again.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Mahoujin Guruguru Magical Circle Guru Guru 魔法陣グルグル [Nippon Animation] (Finished 7/45) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy There is a small village called Jimuna on the continent of Jamu Jamu. This village is home to a girl named Kukuri. She is the last descendant of the Migu Migu Tribe. She is raised by an old witch who teaches her the secret magic of the tribe, but Kukuri is not a good student. In the same village lives a boy named Nike. He has been raised by very strict parents. They discipline their son to become a brave hero of the village. Nike himself does not want to be a hero at all, but he grows up to become a mighty boy. One day the king of the village, Kodai, recruits troops to fight against the ruler of the darkness, Giri. Kukuri and Nike are accepted. The two children, the strong but reluctant hero Nike, and the eager but unskilled little witch Kukuri, set out on a wonderful journey full of adventures and friendship. Crazy nonsense gag comedies have its fans. I'm not one of them.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Ai to Yuuki no Pig Girl Tonde Buurin Super Pig 愛と勇気のピッグガール　とんでぶーりん [Nippon Animation] (Finished 5/51) Tags: Shoujo Parody, School Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance "Look! In the sky...It's a bird...It's a plane...It's Super Pig?!" One fateful day, Karin, a junior-high student, found what she thought was an injured piglet. However, the piglet was just exhausted from hunger. After the piglet regained his health by eating Karin's apple, he revealed that he is a prince, Tonrariano III, from a planet called Booringo. Tonrariano wanted to reward Karin for helping him and so he transformed her into a pig with superpowers. Karin was not at all pleased with the gift because she wanted to become a pretty superheroine like "Cutey Chao" (a parody of Cutey Honey), not Super Pig. Reluctantly, she became more interested in her role as Super Pig when she found out that she can turn into someone like "Cutey Chao" if she can collect 108 pearls through doing good deeds for other people. Just a normal shoujo magical pig. Also not much sense, and humor is not to my liking.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Shinken Densetsu: Tight Road 真拳伝説 タイトロード [Toei Animation] (Finished 0/13) Tags: Martial Arts Action - Not found this video game adaptation.   Overall Rating: 0/10   9. Key the Metal Idol  [Pierrot] (Finished 6/15) Tags: Mecha, Music, Psychological Action, Drama, Sci-Fi Tokiko Mima, nicknamed "Key," is a 17-year-old girl living in the Japanese countryside who, despite her human-like appearance, is a robot. When Key's grandfather Dr. Murao Mima passes away, he leaves her a dying message, telling her that she can become a real girl if she is able to make thirty thousand friends. Thus, Key moves from the quiet Mamio Valley to the busy streets of Tokyo, where she soon runs into her childhood friend Sakura Kuriyagawa. Key quickly becomes enamored with idol singer Miho Utsuse and wonders if becoming a singer will allow her to make the amount of friends needed for her to become human. But Miho carries a ominous secret: she is connected to Jinsaku Ajou, an old rival of Dr. Mima trying to make new a breakthrough in robotic weaponry. As Key works to become a real girl, Ajou sets a dangerous plan into action, and it turns out there's much more to Key than meets the eye. I gave this anime many chances on the course of 6 episodes, but it remained a tiresome bore with bland characters and more of a stage than a real plot.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Musekinin Kanchou Tylor OVA Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA 無責任艦長タイラー OVA [Studio Deen, Daume] (Finished 10/10) Tags: Military, Space Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi Six long months have passed. The Raalgon Empire has developed a horrible new type of weapon, and Tylor has been charged with the duty of intercepting it as it is being transported. But when all that could go wrong does go wrong, the crew members of the Soyokaze find themselves at the mercy of their enemies. As the hours tick down toward their execution, the crew wonders: has their irresponsible captain misled them? Or is this all a part of some greater strategy? Tyler was great, but I believe it was a bit too stretched. This OVA is slightly worse as it's additional stretching with more of the same.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Aozora Shoujo-tai 801 T.T.S. Airbats 青空少女隊 [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 7/7) Tags: Shounen Military Action, Comedy, Romance When aviation mechanic (and anime fanboy) Takuya Isurugi is transferred to the 801st Tactical Training Squadron, he gets more than he bargained for. Moderated by hard-headed veteran ace Mitsuru Konishi, the "Airbats" are an all-female aerial acrobatic team consisting of loose cannons Miyuki Haneda and Arisa Mitaka, karaoke freak and gambling genius Sakura Saginomiya, and junk food lover Yoko Shimorenjaku. Both Haneda and Mitaka do not get along with each other, and their rivalry worsens when they both fall for Isurugi. But with the entire JASDF having doubts about the team, the Airbats must work as a team or face total disbandment. A new harem that felt a lot like Tenchi, but with additional unnecessary drama and challenge for the protagonist. The worst thing is that there is no plot, just pilot school and romance. It's just average.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Gatchaman  [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Super Power Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi In the year 2066, the Republic of Hontworl, a charter member of the United Nations, leaves the organization without explaining its motives. This causes an outrage within the U.N. and places the security of the world on edge. Soon after this incident, Myori, the capital of the Republic of Triad, is attacked by a bird-like, flying fortress known as the Turtle King. The International Science Organization, which is headed by Dr. Kouzaburou Nanbu, is tasked to deal with this mysterious enemy. At the same time, the leading scientists of the ISO are disappearing. The five members of the Science Ninja Team, the Gatchaman warriors, are called upon to get to the bottom of things. It's been years since the team has fought Berg Katze and the infamous Galactor organization. Will Ken, also known as the Eagle, still be able to lead his team to victory against this supreme force of evil? I'm allergic to this series and I fail to understand how it manages to exist at all. Previous series had some nice twists even with deaths, but it happened midway or closer to the end, and before that there's at least 15 episodes of nothing even remotely amusing. This OVA does not have the luxury of volume, so it loses pretty much everything it had.   Overall Rating: 4/10   13. Bounty Dog: Getsumen no Ibu バウンティドッグ~月面のイブ~ [animate Film] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Space Action, Sci-Fi In the future, mankind has colonized the bleak expanses of the moon. Cities now stand proudly where there was once only desolation and emptiness. But there are alien forces that do not want mankind to succeed and only one man can stop them. He is a member of the Bounty Dog Investigation Unit, a high-tech cybernetic mercenary team. It's so bad that I don't even know how to describe it. It's ugly and gory and nonsensical... and disgusting.   Overall Rating: 4/10   14. Dengeki Oshioki Musume Gootaman R: Ai to Kanashimi no Final Battle Butt Attack Punisher Girl Gautaman R 臀撃おしおき娘ゴータマンＲ（リターン）～愛と悲しみのファイナルバトル [Studio Kikan] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Parody Action, Comedy, Ecchi Gootaman is back, and ready to bring justice to the Black Buddha gang who are still terrorizing the PR Academy! Unfortunately her alter ego Mari has fallen in love with the group’s leader Tobishima, who has been tasked with killing the bare bottomed hero! Will their romantic feelings overcome his murderous intent, or is Mari destined to be alone as the scantily-clad champion forever? It manages to present even less worthy humor and more H focus than prequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Wild 7 ワイルド７ [Pierrot Plus] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Detective Action, Drama An elite police crime fighting team is formed using convicted criminals. Using their first hand knowledge of the criminal mindset, the Wild 7 are first sent after a gang of Bank robbers. Then in Wild Biker Knights they are sent after a huge crime syndicate that has many high powered government officials in its deep pockets. I'd call it Angel Cop done right - no superficial elements , serious with some comedy and charismatic enough protagonists. There's enough goodness for a decent action show.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Yamato 2520 YAMATO2520 [ヤマトニーゴーニーゼロ] [Studio Take Off] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Military Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Set hundreds of years after the original, Yamato 2520 chronicles the adventures of the eighteenth starship to bear the name, and its battle against the Seiren Federation. On a planet harshly ruled by the Serien Federation, a group of earth teenagers discover the ancient hulk of the Earth Federation Battleship Yamato. By stealing it's data disk the teens are able to use the Serien's own automated ship yards to construct a new Yamato. I'm actually sick of old Yamato already, so I looked forward to this one, and it actually looked somewhat like Venus Wars with additional cyberpunk at first . But very soon a bunch of kids start to rebuild one of the biggest spaceships in history Yamato ... out of boredom. Just wow for this kind of motivation, they literally got sick of their planet Rimus and wanted to see the Earth again. Of course these useless kids who miraculously own some jets and at least a dozen of cyberbikes succeed in rebuilding the spaceship, and only in the last of three episodes finally have space clash. Everything in this anime is so convenient and illogical that it irritates. Like scientist who gets possessed by neo-fascist ideas of human race superiority who gets away with pretty much a single spaceship and luckily finds a new energy supersource and starts a new civilization in order to... attack Earth that has people of the same race as him... so stupid, so bad .   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Oira Uchuu no Tankoufu Mighty Space Miners おいら宇宙の探鉱夫 [Triangle Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Space Adventure, Sci-Fi In the mid-21st century, mankind has begun the exploration of space, and one company, Planet Catcher Corporation, has pioneered capturing asteroids and comets to mine the resources within them for use on Earth. On one such asteroid, Tortatis, lives 12-year-old Nanbu Ushiwaka - the only child ever to be born in space and survive. But survival itself is no longer guaranteed - a military satellite triggers a disaster during a operation to capture Halley's Comet, and Ushiwaka and his fellow colonists must find a way to survive when both their country and their company abandon them. Can they escape before the nuclear reactor on the asteroid melts down? Or are they doomed to die as they lived, among the stars? It's basically a constant survival story as brat protagonist is challenged by dangers in every step and he barely manages to escape each time by using some low quality gear or just surroundings. Protagonist personality is irritating and story hardly has any plot besides survival and ends too fast as if it's just prologue to longer series , so it's not satisfying .   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Tanjou: Debut 誕生～Ｄｅｂｕｔ～ [Pierrot, animate Film] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Romance, Slice of Life, Supernatural  Aki Itou is a normal highschool girl doing normal things: reading books, feeding stray cats, eating at restaurants with her friend Kumi, dreaming of being an adult, and admiring the boy she likes. However, reality is not always kind to girls with dreams, as she finds out. Super basic idol gimmicks , as expected.   Overall Rating: 4/10   19. Otaku no Seiza おたくの星座 [Bee Media, 81 Produce] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Parody Comedy Anime based on Otaku no Seiza: in Another World, on the Turbo CD, and Otaku no Seiza: An Adventure in the Otaku Galaxy, for the NES, which were two Role-Playing games, published by M&M, released in Japan in 1991 and 1993. First of all, it's ecchi. Apart of that, it's nonsense. Maybe those who played games could make some sense out of it, but I could not.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Shura ga Yuku 修羅がゆく [Knack Productions] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Seinen Organized Crime Drama Based on a Yakuza drama manga by Kawabe Yuu and Yamaguchi Masato. Not translated. Another obscure low quality yakuza story. Everything is as usual - ecchi and full focus on violence, total seriousness this time, but since it's oversaturated with action seriousness looks like a parody at times. Anyway, pretty average and only suits those who'd want to watch another yakuza story.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Saitama Bousou Saizensen Flag! Shinimonogurui no Seishun!! 埼玉暴走最前線 フラッグ! 死にものぐるいの青春!! [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Slice of Life  Based on the manga Flag! by Hotta Akio, which was serialized in Young King from 1992 to 1995. The OVA depicts the tumultuous daily lives of three boys, including Noboru, Akira and Haruo, who inherit the flag of the locally famous fugitive tribe "Moonlight". Not translated. Biker gangs compete for girls and Moonlight flag. Pretty short and average overall.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S: Kaguya-hime no Koibito Sailor Moon S Movie: Hearts in Ice 美少女戦士セーラームーンS かぐや姫の恋人 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance An unusual snow storm hits Tokyo and the Sailor Senshi discover that an evil snow queen Kaguya, wants to freeze the entire earth. It's up to the Inner Sailor Senshi along with the Outers, to defeat the Queen. Meanwhile, Luna falls in love with a human astronomer named Kakeru whose girlfriend is an astronaut about to take a space shuttle mission. Kakeru becomes ill and Luna wishes she could be a human to help him. Solid ice-themed boss and a new guy Kakeru with frozen feelings. Visuals are really great, especially due to all the running snow.   Overall Rating: 6/10   23. Darkside Blues ダークサイド・ブルース [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Psychological Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi The Persona Century Corporation has purchased nearly every parcel of land on earth. Dissension is not tolerated within the corporation's borders and those who oppose Persona are dealt with swiftly. Of those few places not yet under Persona's control is the free town of Kabuki-cho, also known as "The Dark Side of Tokyo". Within the town, under the leadership of a woman named Mai, is a small resistance group called Messiah. Into this world steps a man who takes the sobriquet of Kabuki-cho: Darkside. Sealed up in another dimension eighteen years ago by Persona Century, Darkside now returns to aid Messiah using his unique mystic power of renewal. There's a cool dystopia setting, nice characters and great precise retro-drawing. What really stands out is Darkside with all his magic and darkness , as well as other assassins with psionic powers. It's unusual and quirky enough to be called decent, but also too weird and rushed for anything bigger.   Overall Rating: 6/10   24. Ninkuu: Knife no Bohyou NINKŪ－忍空－「ナイフの墓標」 [Pierrot] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action, Adventure, Comedy This was shown as part of the "Jump Super Anime Tour" of October 1994, prior to the Ninku TV series. TV series is coming next season. As a prequel special it's not much - a bit of absurd comedy and some fighting action.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  16. kivandopulus
    Again no masterpieces. As of decent ones, I'd say that Taiho Shichau zo is the one I enjoyed the most even though it's just franchise setup with 4 episode OVA .    1. Metal Fighter Miku メタルファイター・MIKU  [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Sci-Fi, Sports In the near future, the sports world is dominated by Neo Wrestling, a new spectacle in which Metal Fighters challenge each other to be named champion. The story follows the girls of the Pretty Four; Miku, Ginko, Sayaka, and Nana, as they face off against the current champions, Team Sapphire. With a burnt out drunk named Eiichi Suo for a coach the girls must not only contend with problems in the arena but also unforseen circumstances that arise in day to day life. Only through protecting their friends, understanding their enemies, and eventually challenging their idol Aquamarine, can Miku and the girls understand Eiichi's purpose and the shady secrets behind Neo Wrestling. The closest thing before is probably Cutie Honey and Hummingbirds. There are four girls now both for variety and for build-up during tournaments as Miku should stay the only standing up of the four in the end. Even Kinnikuman was more interesting, to be honest.   Overall Rating: 5/10   2. Huckleberry Finn Monogatari ハックルベリー・フィン物語 [Aubec] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Adventure Based on Mark Twain's famous book about the adventures of young orphan Huckleberry Finn. Huckleberry no Bouken was following the book, the solo adventures, now it's joint adventures with Tom from the start, pretty sure that it does not follow the book as the third friend is black skin kid Jim - kid...  It's done about children and for children, can't see what adults could enjoy here.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Macross Plus マクロスプラス [Triangle Staff] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Adult Cast, Mecha, Military, Space Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi The year is 2040 and the galaxy is flourishing with several colonies and advanced technology. AI is near perfection and the current top idol is the near-completed Virturoid Idol Sharon Apple. All that is missing are her actual feelings, which instead are supplied by Myung Fang Lone. Sharon's debut concert is on planet Eden, where at the same time, fighter pilots Isamu Dyson and Guld Bowman battle over air superiority for the "Supernova Project." Isamu, Guld and Myung were once childhood friends, but after an accident seven years ago, they went their own separate ways. With Myung back in the picture, the old disputes are once again awakened. And when an unstable and illegal AI technique is installed in Sharon, the situation is worsened. It's visual and musical treat, but both plot and characters are rather weak, so I don't see what to be crazy about here. It's exactly "plus" and not self-sufficient work.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Tenchi Muyou! Ryououki 2nd Season 天地無用！魎皇鬼 [AIC] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Shounen Harem, Space Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi While the galaxy remains at peace, Tenchi Masaki continues to live on Earth with Ryouko and Washuu Hakubi, Aeka and Sasami Jurai Masaki, Mihoshi Kuramitsu, and the cat-like creature Ryo-Ohki. Though it sounds great to be surrounded by so many women, they always end up making things difficult for Tenchi by constantly fighting for his attention, and their attempts at household chores always end in disaster. Although life has become more chaotic since they moved in, Tenchi begins to form a strong bond with his roommates and gains more insight into their respective struggles and history. A surprisingly decent comedy, really did not expect such improvement in sequel and lack of any alien threat. But compared to the comedies that I gave masterpiece status - not so impressive. First episode looks like Mama wa Shougaku 4 Nensei a lot. For me it lacks sincerity and really good characters. Main criteria is still ability to be enjoyed, and funny does not yet mean enjoyable. In the end it's just a usual slapstick comedy with mediocre characters - maybe first of its kind, but certainly having hundreds of successors.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Taiho Shichau zo You're Under Arrest 逮捕しちゃうぞ [Studio Deen] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Seinen Detective, Workplace Action, Comedy Running late on her first day as a patrol woman for the Bokuto Police Department, spunky moped rider Natsumi Tsujimoto decides to take several shortcuts, only to be chased down and cited by mechanical genius and expert police driver Miyuki Kobayakawa. Upon arrival at the precinct, Natsumi finds out that her new partner is the same woman who ticketed her earlier. At first, she doesn't trust Miyuki, but in a short period of time, they develop an unbreakable friendship that overcomes traffic accidents, reckless drivers and even the strongest typhoons to hit Tokyo. Patlabor rival with mostly female staff and some Megami-sama character designs. But cases are rather minor, and some needless drama is thrown in constantly. There's potential for future seasons, but in this state it's decent at best.   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Grappler Baki グラップラー刃牙 [Knack Productions] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Combat Sports, Gore, Martial Arts  Action Doppo Orochi sits down to watch the final match of his karate school's youth tournament. Atsushi Suedou, one of his disciples, faces off against Baki Hanma, a fresh teenage boy breezing through the matches. Intrigued by the boy's strength, Doppo, alongside another of his disciples—Kiyosumi Katou— visits the notorious Tokugawa underground ring—a hidden freestyle fighting arena that prohibits only weaponry in its matches. Upon arriving, they learn that Baki is set to face none other than Koushou Shinogi: an infamous karate master and user of the lethal Cord-Cutting technique. It's pure karate action, but what's worst it's disgusting with all the gory cord tearing... ugh.   Overall Rating: 4/10   7. Yuugen Kaisha 幽幻怪社 [Madhouse] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Super Power, Vampire Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural In a country where companies are categorized into many subdivisions and corporations, only one of them is a ghost corp—the Phantom quest corp. When otherworldly supernatural phenomenon threatens the city and its populace, Ayaka Kisaragi and her employees are on the job to fight any and all supernatural menace. Ayaka tries to play on Ghost Sweeper Mikami and... manages to deliver even less. Maybe it's due to the OVA vs TV format, but I can't see Yuugen Kaisha as a comedy or as a supernatural action.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Tenshi Nanka ja Nai 天使なんかじゃない [Group TAC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Comedy, Drama  In a rainy spring day, first year high schooler Midori Saezima saw a tall, handsome fellow student took care of a stray kitten. Without knowing the boy's name, she fell in love with him at the first sight. Due to sickness, Midori returned to school three days after summer vacation -- only to find out that she was "volunteered" as a candidate for student council. After a series of embarrassing accidents, both she and the mysterious boy she had a crush on, Akira Sudo, were elected as members of the student council. Being the first student council of this newly established high school, they are about to create "new traditions" for their school and a bittersweet love story for themselves... 30 minutes of rather simple Shoujo.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Uchuu no Kishi Tekkaman Blade II Tekkaman Blade II 宇宙の騎士テッカマンブレード II [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi 10 years have passed since the end of the last war against the radam. A new team of Space Knights has been assembled under the lead of Aki and D-boy. The first mission of the new tekkaman is to defeat the radam but then, they have to fight against a remnent from the past. Wow, I had to refer to my notes about the prequel to even remember what it was like. This whole franchise feels like Gunbuster imitation now as it tries to do ecchi, romance, comedy, drama and sentai suits fights vs mecha at the same time. And of course it loses in comparison big time in every field but graphics.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Onikirimaru Ogre Slayer 鬼切丸 [Pastel] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Mythology Action There was once an ogre (oni) mother who gave birth to a human looking child. Instead of an ogre's horn, this child was born with a sword in hand called the "Onikirimaru" or Ogre Slayer. He has no name and is only referred to by the name of his sword. Though he appears human, he is pure ogre. Believing that he will become human once all of his kind have vanished from the world of humans, he sets out on his destiny to slay all of his kind. Even now, in the mother world of Japan, he is still out there slaying ogres. I hoped to get at least sword action. Actually it's just a student who watched how ghost possesses women and provokes ghosts inside to show up in order to deal with them. Three episodes take place in modern time, and only last one in the beginning of XX century, and even that is not much different.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Maps マップス [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Space Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi While looking for the ledgendary Mapman, the last surviving member of the Nomad Star tribe, Lipumira finds him in Tokyo. His name is Gen Tokishima and he is the only one able to get one part of the starmap hidden within the Earth. After retrieving the piece, Gen must make a decision to follow Lipumira in her foolhardy search to find the remaining pieces of the starmap or stay on Earth. He makes his decision, only to find his girlfriend has beaten him to the spaceship as she wants to come as well. Unfortunately, as Gen learns the secret of the starmap, Lipumira's sisters have plans to stop her and will stop her at any cost. I knew I saw all this already... in ancient 1987 horrible anime. Visuals are better now, but plot is same nonsense.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Tanin no Kankei 他人の関係 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: School Comedy, Romance, Ecchi Tokiro Ehara, an idealistic geeky professor, begins teaching at an exclusive high school for girls, with hopes of meeting young innocent minds in their most fragile state. Unfortunately, on his way to work, he meets 18-year-old Miyako and finds out that she is one wild student that needs to be taught how a prim and proper teenager should behave. He starts to believe that he is just the right person to teach her. Miyako, however, has other plans, and she's not above using her seductive wiles to lure him into submission. It actually seems to be originator of karakau tease ecchi subgenre which we see relatively often nowadays. But it's not just comedy - it actually tries to take things seriously. This mix of genres, unoriginal characters and lack of non-ecchi humor do not allow me to make it a decent score.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Haou Taikei Ryuu Knight: Adeu Legend Lord of Lords Ryu Knight: Adeu's Legend 覇王大系リューナイト アデュー・レジェンド [Sunrise] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Fantasy In an old world clash between light and darkness (as always), the evil Lord Uongadis is sealed away under a gigantic monument called the Earth Blade. 20 years have passed since the wars, and now the threat of evil being brought back is greater than ever as demons try to revive their lord. As soon as chibi mecha show up, I can't treat it seriously anymore. But more and more silly things  with maximally convenient turn of things happen over and over, so one needs to turn off logic and reflection while watching it. This I can't do .   Overall Rating: 4/10   14. Cosmic Fantasy: Ginga Mehyou no Wana コズミック・ファンタジー　銀河女豹の罠 [Tokuma Shoten] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Space Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi Yuu and Saya are two of the top Cosmic Hunters in the galaxy, and Yuu is enjoying a bit of fame after his most recent adventure. The two are on a date when they are interrupted from a distress signal from their "ally", the feline pervert Nyan. In the meantime, the space pirate Belga begins attacking space freighters in an attempt to lure out Yuu, so she can take him to bed with her. Of course, when he spurns her, she decides that if she can't have him, then no one can. A light oneshot about a fight that spoilt a date. There are many elements that are supposed to be funny like cute designs of robots and ships, but overall can't call it funny and don't see the need to watch for those who is not aware of the game.   Overall Rating: 4/10   15. Junkers Come Here: Memories of You ユンカース・カム・ヒア ～メモリーズ・オブ・ユー～ [Triangle Staff] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Drama, Slice of Life  - Not found. I thought I found it, but it was movie from 1995.   Overall Rating: 0/10   16. Hiroshima e no Tabi ヒロシマへの旅 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Drama, Slice of Life To spend the summer vacation, junior high school student, Kazuki rides a bullet train to Hiroshima to stay with his aunt. Arriving in Hiroshima, his aunt narrates the tragic past of what happened the day the atomic bomb fell. From the aunt who had to overcome a lot of hardships, he learns the value of peace and to have the courage to lose. What a bore, made just to remind about Hiroshima...   Overall Rating: 4/10   17. Street Fighter II Movie Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie ストリートファイターII MOVIE [Group TAC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action Get your quarters ready, because the world's top fighters are about to go head to head in this explosive animated adaptation of the classic Street Fighter II arcade game! M. Bison's plan to crush those who would oppose his organization, Shadowloo, is simple: brainwash the strongest martial artists around with his dreaded psycho power, and turn them into living weapons! To stop him, Interpol agent Chun-Li must team up with Major Guile of the United States Air Force, but that's no small feat. They'll have to put aside their differences and learn to work together, and fast. Bison is closing in on Ryu, a traveling vagabond said to be the best fighter in the world. Fortunately (or not), Ryu is a hard man to find, but the same can't be said of his eternal rival, Ken. And it might just be through Ken that Bison will get what he wants! Can the World Warriors beat Bison to the punch? Among the other fighting games adaptation it's the best one so far, but it still can't even stand out as non-mediocre, still pointless action for the sake of action and a few fans...   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Slam Dunk: Zenkoku Seiha Da! - Sakuragi Hanamichi スラムダンク 全国制覇だ！桜木花道 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen School, Team Sports Set during the Inter High Championships, Shohoku take on Tsukubu, one of this year's dark horses. It's a clash of acquaintances as Anzai will face his former student which is now the coach of Tsukubu, while Akagi & Kogure meet Godai their former classmate and Tsukubu's captain. Finally Sakuragi is irked by the presence of Nango, Tsukubu's center, who vies for Haruko's attention. Much better than original weird movie, feels like just two episodes of original show.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture 餓狼伝説  [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance Young millionaire Laocorn Gaudeamus is on a crusade to recover six pieces of armour said to give the user the powers of Mars—the legendary God of War. Fearing that her twin brother is slowly losing his sanity with every armour piece he collects, Sulia runs to Terry, Andy, Joe and Mai to form their own global crusade to stop Laocorn from opening a potential Pandora's Box and releasing an uncontrollable form of destruction. Second movie came out quite recently, and it looks identical to this third movie and also feels a lot like it. It remains material just for game fans.   Overall Rating: 4/10   20. GS Mikami: Gokuraku Daisakusen!! Ghost Sweeper Mikami Movie GS美神 極楽大作戦!! [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Comedy, Fantasy  Her name is Mikami and she is a Ghost Sweeper by profession. She's also the sexiest exorcist/bounty hunter you will ever meet! When an evil vampire sorcerer returns to Tokyo after a 100-year absence, Mikami is hired to track him and his menacing assistant down before they take over the city. Same as series, moderately amusing, but that's it.   Overall Rating: 6/10   21. Raiyantsuuri no Uta ライヤンツーリーのうた [Mushi Production] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Drama An indentured Chinese laborer, brought to Japan to work in a coal mine during WWII, manages to escape his captors. He hides out in the Japanese countryside, so far from human habitation that he does not realize when the war ends, with ultimately tragic results. Based on a story by Yoichi Takashi. Only available in arabic. Not sure why another story of survivor needs to be put to anime.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Guskou Budori no Denki The Life of Guskou Budori グスコーブドリの伝記 [Animaruya] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama  The Biography of Budori Gusko was the recipient of numerous awards including the Monbusho Selection. The original novella on which the film is based is one of Kenji Miyazawa's more famous works, alongside Matasaburo the Wind Imp, Gauche the Cellist and Night on the Galactic Railroad. The story follows the life of a young boy named Gusuko who lives in the countryside with his parents and little sister. A string of droughts and other natural disasters tear the family apart, and Gusuko is forced to leave home and seek his fortunes on his own. Driven by a desire to improve the quality of life of his poor countrymen, he eventually joins a group of scientists called the Iihatov Volcano Department, and there takes part in scientific projects to fight the natural disasters that drove him from his home. Not translated. As most biography-related adaptations, a bore. If your life is not affected by volcanos in any way... kinda useless.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Heisei Inu Monogatari Bow Movie 平成イヌ物語バウ  [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Comedy The story is set in primitive times. In a village which is home to Bow, Sayaka, and other funny characters. The village is suffering from a shortage of food. To resolve this critical situation, Inugami’s grandmother makes a prophesy: “The chosen one will save the village with a great animal.” Following this prophesy, Bow, Sayaka, Inugami, and Sabu set out together on a journey. Sayaka expends great effort trying to capture a mammoth, while Bow causes confusion by fooling around in his usual way… Not translated. 22 minutes can hardly be called a movie, but it differs from the series that stage is prehistoric era from the modern times in the series. Series was an extensive adoration of dogs and their habits. Movie is kinda the same as modern dogs in ancient era fool around while people try to organize life in the minimally accepted way.   Overall Rating: 0/10   24. Kuni-chan no Ikka Ranran 邦ちゃんの一家ランラン [Nippon Animation] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Drama, Slice of Life - Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   25. Samurai Spirits: Haten Gouma no Shou サムライスピリッツ　破天降魔の章 [Starchild Records] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Historical, Samurai Adventure One hundred years after their deaths, six legendary holy warriors are reborn to seek justice against the former comrade who betrayed them into the hands of an evil god! The six warriors search the feudal province of Edo questing for the last Saint Soldier, Haohmaru, and their sworn nemesis Shirou Amakusa. Will the followers of the divine light triumph over the forces of darkness, or is 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 smells fishy from the very start as after one disaster we're shown fighters getting aware of it from different parts of the country. And yes, it's another adaptation of a fighting game. Every of the six warriors needs some screen time, plus the adventure itself, so 68 minutes is not that much. None of the fighting game adaptations have been able to break free from averageness for now.   Overall Rating: 5/10
  17. kivandopulus
    Failed to find masterpieces in Spring 1994, so I'd prefer to highlight a decent work in need of translation - Tottemo! Luckyman   1. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S Sailor Moon S 美少女戦士セーラームーン S [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/38) Tags: Shoujo Mahou Shoujo Drama, Romance The Sailor Guardians and their leader, Sailor Moon, continue their duty of protecting Earth from any who would dare cause it harm. However, Sailor Mars' apocalyptic visions and the appearance of two new guardians—Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus—signal that a new battle will soon begin. These newcomers seek three Talismans that are inside the Pure Heart Crystals within human beings. Once brought together, these objects form The Holy Grail, a magical relic with extraordinary abilities. They want to use the Grail to save the world, but an evil organization known as the Death Busters seeks its power for their own desires. The removal of a Talisman from a person's Heart Crystal will cause their death, something that Uranus and Neptune see as a necessary sacrifice to form the Grail, while Sailor Moon and her group deem it unforgivable. But can any sacrifice be worth the cost if it saves the lives of the entire human race? It's nice that first episode shows a plot move this early, not so good that next two episodes are fillers as usual. Overall, usual Sailor Moon level.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Mobile Fighter G Gundam 機動武闘伝Gガンダム [Sunrise] (Finished 3/49) Tags: Martial Arts, Mecha, Space Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sports In the year Future Century 0060, the many countries that once comprised Earth's surface exist as separate colonies floating in space. Their home planet now uninhabitable, the ruler of all of the colonies is decided by their unanimous participation in the intergalactic Gundam Fight Tournament—a series of battles between the champions of each colony to determine who is most fit to reign over them all. Neo-Japan's champion is Domon Kasshu, a man who accepts the role with some ulterior motives. Domon searches the galaxy for his brother, a criminal who allegedly murdered their mother and made off with the Devil Gundam, a highly advanced weapon with the power to unleash mass destruction across the galaxy. In his quest to bring his sibling to justice, Domon travels from colony to colony, meeting many of the fighters who will become his allies and enemies in the forthcoming Gundam Fight Tournament. Armed with the strength of the Shining Gundam, Domon battles to uncover the truth behind his tortured childhood, suffering great betrayal and crushing blows on his quest toward personal and national triumph. You would not believe, but Sunrise finally changed something after so many attempts. Now it feels like battle shounen with slightly older protagonist. Still childish and silly, but with such tempo can rise to decent in a thousand years.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Marmalade Boy ママレード・ボーイ [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/76) Tags: Shoujo Comedy, Drama, Romance Miki Koishikawa is a high school student who enjoys a very simple life. However, her ordinary life is about to be turned upside down, and she may not be able to handle everything that is coming her way. After a very "fun" holiday in Hawaii, her parents have decided to get a divorce. As if this wasn’t enough of a shock for the poor girl, she also discovers that they will soon be re-marrying and swapping partners with another couple who they met on holiday. In order to include Miki in this shocking turn of events, they ask her to give the new couple a chance, and set up a dinner date with everyone. Miki may have tried to be emotionally prepared for her new parents, but what she was not expecting was their handsome son Matsuura Yuu. Miki develops an instant crush for Yuu. What starts off as a lovely friendship between them soon develops into romantic feelings which they are both finding hard to control. But more trouble is ahead in their relationship, as both Miki and Yuu have admirers of their own who are trying very hard to keep them separated. Shoujo is hit on miss depending on characters personalities. Both are from middle school and kinda standard. Such basic shoujo focusing only on school romance was needed, but let's move on to more complex shojo already.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Ginga Sengoku Gunyuuden Rai Galaxy Warring State Chronicle Rai 銀河戦国群雄伝ライ [E&G Films] (Finished 5/52) Tags: Shounen Space Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi Rai is a space opera that fuses feudal Chinese and Japanese customs with vast galaxy spanning empires and space-going societies. The story follows the life and times of the samurai Rai, and the quest of several spacefaring factions for control of territory and, of course, the Empire. Chinese customs Sengoku space opera with samurai. Did I miss anything? Add to that immature shounen samurai Rai, and the seriousness of the whole enterprise is put under huge question. Since it's unserious, let's compare it with another similar series Irresponsible captain Tyler. Tyler had charismatic team of characters , good humor, unexpected moves , logical narration. Rai has couple shallow occasionally showing up heroines and immature Rai, everyone else including enemies is either bland or unmemorable. Space battles here are depicted as one side just shooting at the other side, thus winning. We're getting thrown to war without any explanation or exposition. For some reason there's the need of constant down-to-earth samurai skirmishes on the planets. No humor spotted. So what we're supposed to do is watch different fights and different characters talking and as it repeats over and over make some sorts of conclusions out of it. It's a flawed approach from the start and with such horrible directorship and mediocre characters I fail to understand how people can like it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Red Baron レッドバロン  [Tokyo Movie Shinsha] (Finished 3/49) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Mecha Action, Sci-Fi, Sports In the future, the "Metal Fight" games are the most popular televised sport in the world and many robot contestants compete for the title of Best Metal Fighter in the World. Kurenai Ken, along with teammate Saeba Shoko (who was, at first, adamant), pilots the Super Robot Fighter, Red Baron and enters the contest with dreams of becoming its champion. He must, however, face an army of other rivals from around the world including Kaizer (who is, in fact, Shoko's supposedly "lost" father, Tetsuo Saeba), the Tetsumen Tou ("Iron Fist" - a reference to the original Red Baron TV series) doctors, Tiger and ShinRon. It's better than average Sunrise mecha, but that is true for pretty much any mecha already. There's immature genki protagonist, some kind of female and mascot companions and even some humor - would suit kids just fine.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Shirayuki Hime no Densetsu The Legend of Snow White 白雪姫の伝説 [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance  Snow White was a very happy princess, until the day her stepmother, the Queen Christelle, finally reveals her personality and wants to kill the girl. Snow White flees from the castle and got lost in the woods, where she meets seven dwarfs. Since when does a fairy tale take 52 episodes? Anyway, there's only official dub as story is totally  childish and safe . It's also safe from anything even remotely interesting as any work for kids.   Overall Rating: 4/10   7. Haou Taikei Ryuu Knight Lord of Lords Ryu Knight 覇王大系リューナイト [Sunrise] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Fantasy Adeu the Sonic, brash young pilot of the Ryu Knight Zephyr, is joined in his travels by Princess Paffy, Priest Izumi and Ninja Sarutobi. They encounter various people of the land, including other Ryus. On the way, Adeu seeks to test his Ryu against others and thereby grow in his abilities. Another attempt to merge fantasy with mecha. It feels like imitation of some final fantasy game as there are even sort of chokobo here. It actually might work with any other company, but Sunrise turns it into another kids parody with chibi designs and cheap humor that only they seem to understand.   Overall Rating: 4/10   8. Tottemo! Luckyman とっても！ラッキーマン [Pierrot] (Finished 3/50) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor, Super Power Comedy, Sci-Fi This gag comedy series focused on the adventures of a bizarre superhero powered by special cooking and fights against various aliens and other enemies threatening the planet Earth. Not translated. It's a drawn in a childish way superhero parody, but since it's parody can be amusing. Also Luckyman is sort of pervy and uses below the waist hits a lot, so can't call it a show for kids. If anything, it's definitely more fun than Kinnikuman and thus deserved translation much more than Kinnikuman. And it's only the second anime I know that has those great Maruko-chan style narrator comments. Cool stuff.   Overall Rating: 6/10   9. Yamato Takeru ヤマトタケル [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/37) Tags:  Shounen Mecha, Space Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi In the 25th century, a spaceship carrying 300 people leaves the earth in search of a new world in the solar system, but an unexpected accident occurs. They crash into a black hole which is connected to another universe. The people on the ship are cast adrift in an emergency capsule to a planet called Ismo. The story begins 12 years after they have reached Ismo. Ismo is a star of the Onam System, which corresponds to the Solar System in our universe. It is the only planet left in the Onam System. The Death Star called Yomi is a comet which regularly approaches the Onam System. There were once 8 planets in the Onam System. Many years ago, in the time of the gods, there was a war against the evil monster Yamatano Orochi (an 8-headed snake-like creature). The gods won the battle. Yamatano Orochi was locked into 8 stones, one of which is buried deep in the center of each planet. Nobody was supposed to have access to the core of the planets. However Tsukuyomi, an evil god who rules Yomi, succeeded in reaching the stones one after another, destroying 7 of the planets using his powerful robots, the Sky Warriors. However, when he tried to acquire the last stone from the planet Ismo, the most powerful Sky Warrior, Susanoo, got out of control and was blown away. A million years later, the Death Star Yomi is approaching the Onam System once again. Tsukuyomi, the master of Yomi, plans to take this opportunity to realize his dream of ruling the entire universe. He is desperate for the last stone containing Yamatano Orochi. If Tsukuyomi can get hold of this stone, Yamatano Orochi will return to life and its power will become his. Tsukuyomi needs Sky Warrior Susanoo to capture the stone, and sends 8 Sky Soldiers to get Susanoo back. But it is too late. Susanoo no longer belongs to Tsukuyomi. It belongs to Takeru, a 13-year-old boy from Earth, who happened to discover the buried robot Susanoo and woke it from its million-year-long sleep. Takeru becomes involved in the battle against the Sky Soldiers and their evil master, Tsukuyomi. Susanoo stands up to protect his friends and their planet. It feels like shounen adventure with swords, but when giant robots show up our trump card is summoned. Protagonist is a normal genki cheeky brat, so there's hardly anything to discuss here.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Chou Kuse ni Narisou I'll Make a Habit of It 超くせになりそう [Studio Kyuuma, Studio Kikan, Azeta Pictures] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Shoujo Crossdressing, School Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life Shiratori Nagisa is a pink haired singing idol, continually badgered by her father to find new disciples for the family dojo. In an attempt to gain free-time as a normal kid, she cuts her hair and cross-dresses as a high-school boy. "Ootori Nagisa" enrolls in a run-down school, falling in love with a rival school's gang leader, Nosaka Akira. She soon finds out Nosaka-kun is a fan of Nagisa - The Idol. Keeping up the charade, they manage to sneak time together. Rivals for Nagisa's affection, BOTH their dojo-running fathers, as well as martial artist animals and an up-in-coming Idol conspire to make thier lives a complicated as possible. Childish protagonist, unserious mood, lots of boys love allusions due to trap nature of the anime... does not cut it for me at all.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Goal FH: Field Hunter Goal Field Hunter ゴールFH (フィールド・ハンター) [Image Kei] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Action, Sports The story is about Hikaru Tatsumura who came from Brazil to fulfill his dream to be a great soccer player because he met a great player once who was admired by all people. However Tatsumura is a very cheerful person and easy going except when it is about soccer. He becomes serious and strong. He also gives a unique performance such as doing a funny dance with his buddy after he makes a goal. Tatsumura will face a lot of challenges with his team while aiming for success. Not translated. There's enough horizontal interaction , SOL , comedy and protagonist maturity to rival other soccer spokons, but since it's not translated - who cares. I certainly don't.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Montana Jones モンタナ・ジョーンズ [Studio Junio] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Historical Adventure, Comedy, Mystery Boston, 1930: Montana Jones and his cousin professor Alfred Jones travel around the world to search lost treasures in order to bring them to museums. Alfred's mentor professor Gerrit helps them by sending LPs with information. On one trip they meet Melissa, a wealthy reporter, who speaks nearly all languages. She accompanies the two on their trips. Their opponent is Lord Zero, a rich, bizarre art lover and master thief. Lord Zero has two henchmen: Slim and Slam. There is also the inventor Dr. Nitro, who invents strange engines, which to help finding treasures. Only three episodes are translated. Art gives out Disney vibes. Substance is also similar as it's some adventure, and there is usually some competition with the antagonists. Something I saw in DuckTales  many times. It's more mature, of course, as there are no infant heroes and no characters are placed just for comedy relief like Donald Duck, but I still see no way how anyone but kids would want to watch it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Soccer Fever サッカーフィーバー [Tokyo Movie Shinsha] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Historical, Team Sports Together with the hero of this series, Brian Thompson an ex-reporter, we get to relive the great games of the Football World Cup. The story begins with the first selection which took place in Uruguay 1930 until 1994 when it was held in the United States. We also get a depiction of Thompson's life from his youth until now. We also see the game brilliantly reborn through spectacular players like Franz Beckenbauer, Müller Gard, Eusebio and the greatest of them all, Pelé. Not translated. It feels like World Masterpiece Theater series (though it's not) with soccer theme. That's a fresh and historical look, which deserves praise. But since I don't have soccer fever, it's not for me to discuss.   Overall Rating: 6/10   14. Iria: Zeiram The Animation イ・リ・ア ゼイラム The [Ashi Productions] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Space Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Iria is the story of a girl and the Alien being she loves to hate. The series begins with her brother, Gren, taking a job. He is a bounty hunter, and one well known for his incredible skill. Iria, being a skilled apprentice bounty hunter herself, tags along. What is the job, one might ask. It is to find out what has happened to the crew and cargo of a Space Station. Needless to say, nothing is as it seems, and the war between Iria and Zeiram begins in earnest. Basically, it's a nice action story, but stretched too long, with annoying kids to accompany at certain points and with poorly written motivation of the sides of conflict.   Overall Rating: 6/10   15. Shin Cutey Honey New Cutey Honey 新・キューティーハニー [Toei Animation] (Finished 8/8) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi  Cosplay City is in danger when the evil Dolmeck shows up. Commanding his army of monsters, he plans on destroying everything. Only one person can stop this: Cutey Honey. After she is released from her dormancy, Honey Kisaragi becomes the multi-transformational android Cutey Honey. However, the least is expected when Honey is faced with an old enemy from the past: Panther Zora. Main disadvantage is that it lacks comedy since it's not made by Gainax... yet! As of now it mostly repeats ancient prequel with emphasized action and ecchi. Sadly, no real story value here.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Dengeki Oshioki Musume Gootaman: Gootaman Tanjou-hen Butt Attack Punisher Girl Gautaman  臀撃おしおき娘ゴータマン～ゴータマン誕生篇 [animate Film, Studio Kikan] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Parody Action, Comedy, Ecchi Mari Amachi is a very devout Christian who transfers to Perfect Religion Academy. A school devoted to all religions of the world in effort to make it's students the next world leaders in religion. Her friend Saori is kidnapped by the Black Buddha cult; a group who wishes to take away religious freedom though force and brainwashing. Mari prays to God for help but Buddha answers the call, instead! Mari aspires only to help her friend and she is transformed into Butt Attack Punisher Girl Gotaman. Between fighting bad guys, making a deal with Buddha, and wearing scandalous costumes, is it more than Mari can take? It repeats concept of Kekko Kamen, but provides less cringe and less humor, so lacks in every field.   Overall Rating: 4/10   17. Bakuen Campus Guardress  爆炎CAMPUSガードレス [Production I.G] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen School Action, Comedy, Supernatural Long ago, the gate to the world of darkness was sealed. Now evil warriors, known as Remnants, are trying to reopen the gate and let demons take over the world. However, at Tobira High School, there exist guardians of the gate who must risk their lives to prevent the gate from being opened. It's exaggerated comedy action, so can hardly expect seriousness with muscular enemies in thongs or female enemy "Sexy whip". Female protagonist is on par with that as she competes with her mother over who kisses Takumi first in the mornings and most of her phrases are akin to "I will protect Takumi!" with Takumi  being her brother of relatively the same age. It's easy to entertain in the moment with this kind of craze, but after it's over no good impression remains.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Future GPX Cyber Formula Zero 新世紀ＧＰＸサイバーフォーミュラＺＥＲＯ [Sunrise] (Finished 3/8) Tags: Shounen Racing Drama, Sci-Fi A freak accident during the 12th Cyber Formula World Grand Prix causes Hayato Kazami to miss the rest of the season, and critically injures both his body and his will to continue racing. Hayato's longtime friend, Asuka Sugo, helps nurse him back to health, and in return he proposes to her and promises her that he would never race again. But as time goes on, Hayato begins to doubt whether he really wants to retire, and decides to make a comeback after all. And with the 13th Cyber Formula World Grand Prix now underway, he must struggle to regain his racing form; regain the trust of Asuka, whose promise he broke; and thwart the malicious intents of Henri Clayton. All the while, the reason behind Hayato's accident begins to unveil itself: the "Zero Zone." Since it's third installment already, it's hardly possible to shift set opinions at this point. As usual, I was only interested in whether protagonist has become a Pro by now and how relations have progressed to this point. Protagonist is kind of a pro all right now, but authors found a way to nullify all his progress yet again, lol. And he has progressed enough to hug a girl. I've known all that I came here for. Everything else is same average as usual.   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Nana Toshi Monogatari: Hokkyokukai Sensen 七都市物語 ～北極海戦線～ [animate Film] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Military Drama, Sci-Fi  In 2099, Earth has shifted off its axis and begins to rotate at an angle of 90% to the 20th-century equator. Three years of natural disasters follows, and when things settle down, Earth's ten billion population has died and only two million moon colonists remain. Some return to begin the repopulation of the world in seven new cities and the remaining colonists of the moon fear that their former neighbors might pose a threat and construct a ring of defensive satellites to trap them on the newly repopulated homeworld. It feels like author of Legend of Galactic heroes was sad that all his stratagems looked silly in space, so he put up this artificial setting just to show cool traps hidden in the water! Ridiculously rushed development and implementation with zero outcome value, as for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Shin Kujakuou Spirit Warrior 真・孔雀王 [Madhouse] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Mythology Action, Horror  A young mystic without a past, Kujaku was born under a dark omen possessed of incredible supernatural powers. Raised by priests, he has learned to use these powers for good. But the evil Siegfried von Mittgard seeks to steal his birthright, and rule the world as the Regent of Darkness. He has dispatched bloodthirsty minions to destroy Kujaku before he can awaken to his destiny. Now, Kujaku must unravel the riddle of his past, before the power within consumes him! It used to be a total mess. Now it's just an average action with somewhat crazy story.   Overall Rating: 0/10   21. Mars マーズ [Discotek Media] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Mecha Action, Sci-Fi Mars is the 1st remake of the franchise and restored the original manga's storyline of a young boy in suspended animation inside a South Sea volcano who awakens a century before his alien masters planned to use his powers to reduce human civilization to a manageable low-tech level. Not translated. As you see from the synopsis, source is very old, probably 60s. And it's inevitably very simple. It's mostly dialogues of Mars with scientists and military with inevitable giant mecha ambush at the end of each episode. It's mostly military fighting the giant mech, but of course boy can not be kept out of danger. Ending is kinda open, so meh.   Overall Rating: 3/10   22. Yuu☆Yuu☆Hakusho: Meikai Shitou-hen - Honoo no Kizuna Yu Yu Hakusho the Movie: Poltergeist Report 幽☆遊☆白書 冥界死闘篇 炎の絆 [Pierrot] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Mythology Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural Millennia ago, a war was fought between the Netherworld and the Spirit World. Ultimately, the Netherworld was destroyed and Lord Yakumo, the King of the Netherworld, was banished to the depths of space. Now, five defenders from the Spirit World must team-up against Yakumo's Demon-Gods for possession of five, mystical sites. But Lord Yakumo is dangerously close to reclaiming the Power Sphere—the source of the Netherworld's energy—and once it is again in his possession, our world will become the new Netherworld. Action has become very impressive, but there's not much besides.   Overall Rating: 6/10   23. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 02: Buriburi Oukoku no Hihou クレヨンしんちゃん ブリブリ王国の秘宝  [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Action, Adventure, Comedy An action adventure film set in a imaginary southern island in the Indian Ocean. The evil secret society, "White Snake" abducted Shinnosuke and Prince Sunnokeshi of the Buri Buri Kingdom, who looks very much like Shinnosuke, in order to get the kingdom's hidden treasure in the golden palace underground. Shinnosuke's parents, Hiroshi and Misae fight with Lulu, the major of the palace guard of the kingdom, against White Snake, trying to recapture Shinnosuke and the prince. Since there is a previous movie to compare to, it's easier to do now. There are still quite a few nice jokes, but action story with twim subplot gives a worse impression with much time getting spent on plot development and even fighting scenes with little opportunity for humor, and that's just not Shinnosuke usual tempo.   Overall Rating: 6/10   24. Sangokushi: Dai San Bu - Harukanaru Taichi 三国志 第三部 遥かなる大地  [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action Historical An anime based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel. As a part of trilogy, I hate it as much as prequels for being much worse than original Sangokushi titles because of art, same looking characters and even worse directorship. Same horrible open ending, of course.   Overall Rating: 4/10   25. Dohyou no Oni-tachi 土俵の鬼たち [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Combat Sports, Historical Drama, Sports Animated film about the life of the 45th Yokozuna, Wakanohana Kanji I. Not translated. Demon ring looked quite like a normal ring to me... Anyway, guy comes from a poor family, gets noticed for strength during WWII, wins first sumo match while being a normal thin guy, inevitably looses soon and then starts to go for judo professionally with all the hardships and conflicts on the way. Pretty normal story with some nice observations of the time.   Overall Rating: 5/10   26. J League wo 100-bai Tanoshiku Miru Houhou!! Jリーグを100倍楽しく見る方法!!  [Nichion] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Parody Comedy, Sports - Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   27. Slam Dunk: Ketsui no Shouhoku Basket-bu スラムダンク 決意の湘北バスケ部 [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen School, Team Sports - It's actually just a fast-paced compilation of the starter episodes, as such completely useless and messy with poor directorship.   Overall Rating: 1/10
  18. kivandopulus
    Shonan Junai Gumi! is the only minor masterpiece discovered in Winter 1994.   1. Akazukin Chacha Red Riding Hood Chacha 赤ずきんチャチャ [Gallop] (Finished 3/74) Tags: Shoujo Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Akazukin Chacha is the story of a young magical girl (Mahō Shōjo) named Chacha. Living with her guardian in a cottage on Mochi-mochi mountain is Seravi, who is her teacher and also the fictional world's greatest magician. Chacha is clumsy in casting her spells because, throughout the anime, when she summons something, it often turns out to be something that she didn't mean to cast, for example, spiders (kumo) instead of a cloud (also kumo). At times in the anime when she and her friends are in trouble, however, her spells do work. Living on the same mountain is a boy gifted with enormous strength named Riiya. It is described that Riiya came from a family of werewolves who can instantly change into a wolf whenever they want. Quite far from Mochi-mochi mountain lies Urizuri mountain. Dorothy, also a well known magician in her land, lives in a castle on Urizuri mountain. Living with her is Shiine, her student. Shiine is adept when it comes to casting spells. He is a young wizard and most of his knowledge about magic was taught to him by Dorothy. Story is pretty much non-existent as it's just magician school stage and some evil emperor or something sending some nasties. Each episode follows the same pattern - stage changes, but there's usually no story or plot in each episode, just by the end there's some usual five-second fight that is preceded by transformation. Characters are ok, but are very young , like - I dunno - 8 years old, so they act irrationally and just fool around. So everything this anime really stands out for is humor. There's high density or slapstick humor. It's absolutely random and senseless. If I try to retell some gag in words or try to analyze what's happening on the screen, I inevitably feel stupid. I'm happy that it works for so many people, but I get tired too fast of senseless humor and I can't just turn off the head. I'm not enjoying this.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Nanatsu no Umi no Tico Tico and Friends 七つの海のティコ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Adventure, Slice of Life Nanami Simpson is a young girl. Her mother dies when she is young, and she goes to live with her father, Scott Simpson, on board a marine research vessel, the Peperonchino. Her father is a marine biologist, and he is in search of a creature known as the glowing whale. When he finds the bones of one of these, he is saddened, and resolves to change his mission toward preserving and caring for the creatures. Nanami befriends an Orca which she names Tico, and she goes swimming with it every day. Eventually, she learns to breathe underwater which astounds her father. Nanami nearly drowns one day, and one of the glowing whales saves her from certain death and returns her to the vessel, where her father finally gets to see it. I'm incompatible with World masterpiece series. This one is based on original scenario, so has more emotions and appeals better to children audience, but for me it's still a childish story about animals .   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Yuusha Keisatsu J-Decker Brave Police J-Decker 勇者警察ジェイデッカー [Sunrise] (Finished 3/48) Tags: Detective, Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Grade schooler Yuuta Tomonaga stumbles upon Deckerd, a humanoid robot under construction by the Japanese police, built to fight advanced forms of crime. Yuuta's constant contact with Deckerd gives the robot a "heart," or personality; when Yuuta is recruited as the "boss" of the "Brave Police" as a result, a true human/robot partnership occurs. I loathe it as a part of Sunrise series that includes a dozen of same horrible mecha. Still I wanted to see, maybe humor got better or characters got likeable for once... nope, everything is same primitive as always in Sunrise mecha, the only problem is that it's not 70s anymore and quality level is the same as in the 70s.   Overall Rating: 4/10   4. Shonan Junai Gumi! 湘南純愛組!  [J.C.Staff, Life Work] (Finished 5/5) Tags: Delinquents, School Action, Comedy Eikichi Onizuka and Ryuji Danma are members of infamous biker duo, the Oni Baku. When not out riding around, they can be found in school, trying to pick up young women. This is the story of the young Onizuka, who would later become the greatest teacher in Japan, and his partner Ryuji in their quest to lose their virginity and reach maturity. They are widely feared bosozoku, and are known for their tenacity and viciousness in a fight. However, this lifestyle does not exactly endear them to the opposite gender, so they decide to change their ways. However, this is easier said than done. Shounen Onizuka is more about violence and girls, and less about humor, and in this regard it definitely loses to Kyou kara Ore wa as paragon of delinquent comedy. Shounen Onizuka is enjoyable , but after first great episode, middle ones are weaker, and that in the end determines inferiority vs Kyou kara Ore wa and a whole point penalty in score .   Overall Rating: 7/10   5. Genocyber ジェノサイバー [Artmic] (Finished 5/5) Tags: Gore, Mecha, Psychological Action, Horror, Sci-Fi As the nations of the world begin to merge, world peace is threatened by the private armies of individual corporations. The Kuryu Group has just discovered a weapon that will tip world power in their favor. The Genocyber: a nightmarish combination of cybernetics and psychic potential. Many desire to control this monstrosity, but can its hatred be contained... Battle erupts, and the cyberpunk world of the future is about to explode with violence. It should have been called Genocyder as it has enough of genom, enough of genocyde, but lacks in cyber department. There's not much to see here besides the gore.   Overall Rating: 4/10   6. Final Fantasy Legend of the Crystals: Final Fantasy ファイナルファンタジー [Madhouse] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy A continuation of the events from Final Fantasy V. 200 years after Bartz and his friends saved two worlds from the threat of ExDeath, a threat arises and seeks to take the Crystals for itself. Linaly, a descendant of Bartz, and her friend/protector Prettz journey to the Temple Of Wind to seek the source of this new danger. FFV has the most boring story from all the plot titles of the franchise that start with 3rd. This sequel is set in the future and nothing more clever is invented than just devote each episode to crystal resembling nature element or similar symbol. In this regard it could easily be Dragon Quest sequel with a bit of tuning. The biggest problem is using new horrible and undeveloped characters. This stuff's rather basic and not giving anything in return for invested time.   Overall Rating: 4/10   7. Plastic Little プラスチックリトル [animate Film] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Military Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Set on the planet Yietta, whose colonists make their living by exploiting the planet's unique liquid-gas oceans, Plastic Little begins as the Yietans are finally about to pay off their debts to the Galactic Federation. Unfortunately, there are those who would rather not let Yietta slip through their fingers... Enter Tita, 17 year old captain of the Cha Cha Maru. Together with her crew, Tita specializes in capturing Yietta's exotic life forms for intergalactic pet shops, but through plain bad luck she finds herself, instead, at the core of a sinister plot to take over Yietta! By rescuing 16 year old Elysse from the very clutches of the military, Tita puts the lives of both herself and her crew in mortal peril... but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do! As the plotters mobilize their forces in a desperate bid to retrieve Elysse, whom they believe possesses a vital computer code, Tita must play a dangerous game of tag with an entire army of professional killers! It's Cat and Mouse on a planetwide scale, with one crucial difference: Mice don't shoot back, but Tita's does! For everyone who is aware of Satoshi Urushihara name it's evident that girls and fanservice are going to be in focus and plot will be there just to connect those events. I was surprised to know there's just four such events, but length is also just 47 minutes, and half of it has to be devoted to resolution, thus my initial assumption is confirmed. I don't consider "plot" to bear any real value, so I just can't recommend this OVA .   Overall Rating: 4/10   8. Dirty Pair Flash ダーティペアFLASH [Sunrise] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Detective Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Kei and Yuri were originally junior auxiliary agents in the Worlds Works and Welfare Agency (W.W.W.A. or 3WA for short) when the two were paired together under the codename "Lovely Angels." Kei was coming off her fourth probation for something she had done, and Yuri's dating exploits were common knowledge, not to mention the two had an instant dislike for each other when they met. At first, Kei and Yuri refused to work with each other, and Kei even resigned from the 3WA. Afterwards, the two continued to work together, although they earned their nickname, "the Dirty Pair" because of all the collateral damage the two (unintentionally) cause in the completion of their cases. And even though the two now get along with one another, they continue to bicker and complain to each other. Although it is often said that these are younger versions of the original Lovely Angels Kei and Yuri, in truth this series is an alternate universe telling of Dirty Pair, set in the years 2248-49. Several average movies and OVAs have tarnished Dirty Pair reputation to an extent after impressive initial series, so they are trying new things as younger Key and Yuri can be placed in a different stage like one city as well. But it all broke up for me with the magical girl transformation scene for each of the heroines in the first episode... why? Series had couple fanservice-enticing episodes, but now fanservice becomes the focus of the OVA with heroines degraded to the level of light-minded schoolgirls. It can bring some new audience, but inevitably averts old-school one .   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Giant Robo Gaiden Ginrei Giant Robo: Ginrei Special ジャイアントロボ外伝 GinRei 銀鈴 [Phoenix Entertainment] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Parody, Super Power Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi In episode one, Ginrei's dress is stolen, only to be used to fool the enemy. The second episode deals with a giant robot made exactly in her image. Finally, the third episode concerns Tetsugyu and Ginrei investigating a lost research team in a "wild west" desert setting. I did not like the original that was supposed to have some substance, so it is futile to hope I'd like specials. It's not half as bad as Sunrise mecha, but calling it decent is hardly possible as well - with all the fanservice involved here it's rather indecent.   Overall Rating: 5/10   10. Koukou Butouden Crows Crows 高校武闘伝 クローズ [Knack Productions] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Delinquents, School Action Bouya Harumichi is a new transfer student to Suzuran all-boys high school, a place where only the worst delinquents assemble. Due to its large amount of delinquents who are hated by the general people for their inauspiciousness, similarly to crows, it is also known as "Crows High School." Harumichi is an insanely strong fighter but has an irresponsible personality. How will he act in this new environment where everyone is a delinquent? A decent delinquents anime. It manages to stay unserious, focuses on violence and lacks real humor at the same time. My preferences in the genre are quite the opposite - serious attitude, focus on girls equally as violence and substantial humor.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Natsuki Crisis なつきクライシス  [Madhouse] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Martial Arts, School Action Natsuki is the top female karateka in her high school. Beautiful and cheerful, she charms most people she meets. Most of the young men in her class would dearly like to be the object of her affection but she saves her passion for karate. Unfortunately, all the big ugly thugs she comes across want to fight her so she's always finding practical application for her karate skills. As the series continues and her opponents get grimmer, Natsuki learns techniques from Akido and Judo and develops a special Ki energy blast that doubles the strength of her punches. She may not be able to smash walls like some of her opponents but her special N.G. Bomber usually sends her opponents flying. Seriously... the whole anime is to watch at staged karate fights and pantsu flashes? Because there's nothing besides it, that's nowhere above average.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Compiler  [Studio Fantasia] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi When a world of 2-D beings discovers the existence of our universe, they send a team of beautiful Domni-Matrixes into our world to prepare it for total integration. However, once liberated from their flat and dreary 2-D existence, Compiler and Assembler quickly discovered that cybersex with a couple of 3-D guys is a lot more fun than world conquest. Now, in between interfacing with their boyfriends, Assembler and Compiler must protect the Earth from being deleted by their former masters and an army of killer programs. It's not recommended, because it's not self-sufficient OVA as actual story should have been cancelled or never issued with manga supposedly popular. Basically, it's two very different specials for... nothing.   Overall Rating: 4/10   13. B.B. Fish B.B. フィッシュ [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Drama, Romance  At the time of the ceremony of entry to the college, a young boy named Ushino Hayama finds Sara a girl whom he met ten years ago. From this day, a change has taken place in him, and notices that can now control some water. After having succeeded the swimming championships, he discovers deep sea diving. Will he find legendary fish or will he not over the course of 25 minutes?! Intrigue we deserve. Plus some fanservice   Overall Rating: 2/10   14. Kibun wa Uaa Jitsuzai OL Kouza 気分は形而上[うああ] 実在OL講座 [Group TAC] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Seinen Comedy  Follows an office lady who expresses the phrase "Uaa" when in a state of emotional disbelief in situations above her head—which is quite frequent in the office, while dating, and when out on the town with friends. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   15. Slam Dunk (Movie) スラムダンク [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen School, Team Sports  Sakuragi and the Shohoku team takes on Oda and Takezono High School. This is Sakuragi's second match as he faces Oda, a basketball player who went to the same junior high. Calling 29 minute special a movie is kinda... wrong? But we get a match !... as expected from any spokon? I hope creators milked enough money for something useful with this filler fraud.   Overall Rating: 4/10   16. Kattobase! Dreamers: Carp Tanjou Monogatari かっ飛ばせ! ドリーマーズ -カープ誕生物語-  [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Team Sports This cartoon tells the story of the establishment of a famous baseball team in Japanese history... Not translated. Anyone wanted to see poor kids train in the field on pure enthusiasm? I doubt anyone ever wanted that...   Overall Rating: 4/10   17. Nakazaki Tatsuya Super Gag Theater I 中崎タツヤスーパー ギャグシアター I [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Adult Cast, Gag Humor Comedy An adaptation of various short gag manga by Tatsuya Nakazaki. Aired as a single TV special featuring twenty-five short stories. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10
  19. kivandopulus
    It was a bland season for me. Can put any decent work on the cover, but since I prefer adventurer parties, let it be Fortune Quest: Yo ni mo Shiawase na Boukensha-tachi   1. Slam Dunk スラムダンク  [Toei Animation] (Finished 4/101) Tags: Shounen School, Team Sports Hanamichi Sakuragi, infamous for his temper, massive height, and fire-red hair, enrolls in Shohoku High, hoping to finally get a girlfriend and break his record of being rejected 50 consecutive times in middle school. His notoriety precedes him, however, leading to him being avoided by most students. Soon, after certain events, Hanamichi is left with two unwavering thoughts: "I hate basketball," and "I desperately need a girlfriend." One day, a girl named Haruko Akagi approaches him without any knowledge of his troublemaking ways and asks him if he likes basketball. Hanamichi immediately falls head over heels in love with her, blurting out a fervent affirmative. She then leads him to the gymnasium, where she asks him if he can do a slam dunk. In an attempt to impress Haruko, he makes the leap, but overshoots, instead slamming his head straight into the blackboard. When Haruko informs the basketball team's captain of Hanamichi's near-inhuman physical capabilities, he slowly finds himself drawn into the camaraderie and competition of the sport he had previously held resentment for. Watching it for the first time, and I don't consider it great. I actually liked old Dash Kappei more as it had humor that was more to my liking. I understand that part of appeal comes from delinquent nature, but it hardly matters. And I'm not even taking into account logics as person who hates basketball and does not know its rules agrees to compete with basketball team captain not in punching faces, but in... basketball! So stupid. The next episode the same person who hates basketball... suddenly just appears in basketball team. R u freaking kidding me... there's nothing to enjoy here.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Aoki Densetsu Shoot! Blue Legend Shoot! 蒼き伝説　シュート！ [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/58) Tags: Shounen School Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sports Inspired by Yoshiharu Kubo's phenomenal performance that led Kakegawa High School to a miraculous victory in a soccer tournament, Toshihiko Tanaka decides to enter the same school as his idol and join the soccer club, hoping to become as successful as Kubo. Now a high school freshman, Tanaka is devastated as his expectations suddenly start falling apart. Kubo—the captain of the club—is absent due to illness. To make matters worse, the freshmen are not allowed to practice alongside the sophomores or become regulars on the team. The final nail in the coffin is the reluctance of Tanaka's friends, Kenji Shiraishi and Kazuhiro Hiramatsu, to join him in the club. Although Tanaka and his friends were once known as a deadly soccer trio in their junior high school days, Kenji and Kazuhiro have both quit soccer for personal reasons. When Tanaka starts to lose hope, an encounter with Kazumi Endo—a girl from his childhood—becomes the unexpected key to his freedom from despair. The disappointed Kazumi wants to see the trio reunite, so she takes matters into her own hands in her mischievous way. Thus, Tanaka's high school soccer career prepares for the kickoff. It's a bit of romance and serious team spokon with spotlight on many team members rather than the star one. Anyway, it's still better than all previous childish soccer spokons, so it can be considered decent, I guess.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Muka Muka Paradise ムカムカパラダイス [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Adventure, Comedy  Uiba Shikatani, the daughter of a pet shop owner, is heartbroken after some reptile eggs fail to hatch. In his attempts to cheer her up, her father brings home a large, striped egg, which he hopes will successfully hatch (unexpectedly into a green dinosaur whom they call "Muka-Muka," which are the only words which the baby reptile can speak). Muka-Muka soon becomes the talk of the town and comes into the interest of the town's professor and his wacky inventions, including a time machine which successfully teleports the Shikatani's among other families and their homes to pre-historic times where they encounter several other dinosaurs and enchanted beings on their adventures. Not translated. Girls need their own Doraemons... and that's how Muka Muka Paradise was born. But since Muka Muka does not talk, it's better to compare him with representatives that have non-talking pets as well. Overall... lacks humor and feels average.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Jungle no Ouja Tar-chan ジャングルの王者ターちゃん   [Group TAC] (Finished 3/50) Tags: Gag Humor, Parody Action, Comedy Ta-chan is the king of jungle. He was abandoned in savanna, and has been raised by a chimpanzee, Etekichi. He has a dearest wife, Jane who used to be a top model in New York, but now she looks... Anyway, to protect animals from poachers, Ta-chan is fighting against them with his disciple, Pedro, and a master of Chinese martial arts, Ryo. This anime is based on the manga with the same title; it begins as a comical parody of Tarzan. The first several episodes are comedies, but the rest of the series consists of (rather) serious episodes. There have been two anime about wilderness man coming to a civilized town. But this one is different as it's wilderness man treating guests from civilization. Anyway, too horrible characters and too bad humor... so with rare moments of ok humor it's still done by these poor characters.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Heisei Inu Monogatari Bow Heisei Period Dog Tale Bow 平成イヌ物語バウ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/40) Tags: Adventure, Comedy  Bow is a homeless dog, who enjoys his carefree life. This dog is no super-hero. He drools when he's hungry, he wags his tail when he's happy, and he barks when he's excited, just like an ordinary dog but even uglier and stupider! His dumb innocence often leads to disaster. But somehow people are charmed by him. School children, a lonesome cartoonist, and a gangster family all play an important role in Bow's life. Not translated. And another anime with non-speaking pet. This one is just boring as it's all just about dog stuff , almost like Where is Michael, just with a semi-passive host . I'm astonished how someone could gather so many observations of dog life, but there's not much good in dog life even if it's idealized.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (OVA) ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 [APPP] (Finished 6/6) 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. Tried to watch remake once... and it felt morally old and childish. As I understand now, it's stylish fashionable men with some abilities are fighting some superboss with super-abilities and barely manage by sheer luck or endurance or command play. There are usually also a lot of casualties which usually miraculously cure later on. Also there is high variety as show is supposed to surprise with "bizarre" in the title. I understand it better now, but my case rests the same - I don't understand why I would want to watch it. It's definite improvement over Hokuto no Ken (last JoJo episode even has ATATATATATA), but in my opinion it was floor level and now just above the floor level.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Black Jack ブラック・ジャック [Tezuka Productions] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Medical, Psychological Drama, Mystery, Suspense Kuroo Hazama, also known as "Black Jack," is a legend in the medical world. Famous for being one of the best, as well as not having a license, Hazama and his assistant Pinoko save countless lives that other doctors cannot... for a price; an exorbitant price, in fact, which causes many to view the genius as greedy and heartless. Despite these claims, however, none can deny his skill and the lengths that he will go to treat his patients. This dark medical drama tells the story of the ominous and mysterious world of underground medicine as Black Jack risks his life to cure some of the most bizarre diseases imaginable, even if it means breaking every law in the process. No coherent story, just episodic cases of underground genius doctor with difficult mystical cases, something like Dr. Chaos that I can't stand.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Boku no Chikyuu wo Mamotte ぼくの地球を守って  [Production I.G] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Shoujo Drama, Sci-Fi Alice Sakaguchi once dreamt that she is another person living on the moon. The dream is so strange and so real that Alice can't stop thinking about it. She finds out that some of her classmates are having the same kind of dream. They soon discover that they had been seeing flashes of their past lives as a team of scientists on the moon. Alice and her friends then decide to find the other members and piece together what took place back then. Complications arise when they realize that everything that happened in their previous existence continue to haunt and affect their present lives. I regret every second of the time wasted time on this OVA... I see it as a weird homage to ancient OVA Terra e... Again Moon, Earth, nostalgy for lost home, espers, and I think there was at least Enju in Terra e..., though I may be mistaken. Anyway, pretentious senseless dialogues about nothing and even worse plot. And a lot of people wasted much more time making it - I shiver at the very thought of that.   Overall Rating: 2/10   9. The Cockpit ザ・コクピット [Madhouse] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Adult Cast, Historical, Military 1. Slipstream About a Luftwaffe pilot who must choose between his duty to his country: to guard a bomber loaded with Germany's final hope of victory... the world's first atomic bomb... or his duty to the world: to let it fall in flames to enemy Spitfires and be a footnote in history. Of course, things are complicated by the plane's other cargo... the woman he loves. 2. Sonic Boom Squadron Near the end of the war, Japan has implemented a new weapon -- a human-piloted rocket-propelled flying bomb. Aboard a bomber carrying one of these, young Ensign Nogami awaits his chance to die as a "cherry blossom", a suicide pilot. In a few hours, he will die. The date of his death is set: August 6, 1945. 3. Knight of the Iron Dragon Two soldiers attempt to reach an air base in order to fulfill a promise despite the fact that it might have been rendered moot in the reality of war. For crying out loud... not the Space Express AND Captain Harlock character designs again... that alone is enough for a full score penalty. Add to that that there are three stories each of some 20 minutes length and that it's all about brave AXIS heroes aiming to conquer half of the world for the rule of the strong, and my disgust will become evident.   Overall Rating: 4/10   10. New Dominion Tank Police 特捜戦車隊ドミニオン [J.C.Staff] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Shounen Detective, Mecha Comedy, Sci-Fi In the follow up to Shirow's classic anime, Al, Leona and their trusty steed, Bonaparte, continue to fight crime in New Port City, alongside the rest of the Tank Police. But a new threat appears in the form of a series of terrorist attacks, using the latest weapons technology. The Tank Police are out-numbered and out-gunned, but Al and Leona set out to discover who or what is behind these attacks. With massive explosions and high-speed chases, Leona often causes more damage than the criminals she pursues. Dominion Tank Police franchise is basically maximally unserious Patlabor. Prequel was too crazy for me as it casually treated torture by police in many cases - luckily, no such issue spotted here anymore. It's somewhat fun... yet not fun enough for me to enjoy.   Overall Rating: 6/10   11. Choujikuu Seiki Orguss 02 超時空世紀オーガス02 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi Years of political tension and mistrust between the two rival nations of Zafran and Revillia escalate to the point of war. Each nations solution: to gain possession of Decimators, the same ancient robots of war that nearly ended all life on the planet 200 years before. As the war ensues and the leaders of both nations become reluctant to surrender, only the desperate plan of Lean, a young cadet, and Nataruma, a psychically gifted young woman, to alter the timeline of events 200 years before stands the chance between humanity's survival or absolute destruction. As competition gets more and more fierce, I cant treat all these remnants of history lightly. Orguss 02 is average at best. What did Orguss stand out for ? Somewhat charismatic and somewhat pervy protagonist and his harem of female half-beast aliens with unusual morality. What do we have here? Many years have passed and another bland hero in mecha fights some other mechas like in every single shitty Gundam. Pathetic .   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Sono Kinisasete yo: My My Mai My My Mai その気にさせてよ myマイ舞  [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Comedy, Supernatural, Ecchi  While on the job, it is important to watch how you present yourself as people's perceptions can mean everything. For Mai Waku, an owner of a firm tackling supernatural problems, this simple task can be incredibly difficult. With her unavoidable sex appeal, Mai seems to always find a way to end up naked while working on a case. Dealing with a variety of people from well-known celebrities to innkeepers, Mai cannot seem to avoid precarious situations where she lacks clothes in the presence of her clients. Anime is about counselling heroine and all her clients problems are borderline ecchi is some what. Of course it is silly and light. Still calling it decent would be an overkill.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Konpeki no Kantai 紺碧の艦隊 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/32) Tags: Historical, Military Action, Drama Konpeki no Kantai is a Japanese alternate-history original video animation series produced by JC Staff. Based on a 1992 novel by Yoshio Aramaki, the series focuses on a technologically advanced Imperial Japanese Navy and a radically different Pacific War that was brought about by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's revival in the past due to unexplained circumstances. The series also features real-life 1940s figures whose first names were changed, such as Winston Churchill to Kingston Churchill and Adolf Hitler to Heinrich von Hitler. Only 22 episodes are translated. Ever wanted to see how heroic Imperial Japanese Navy defeats USA fleet? Neither did I... At least make it fantasy and take out historical figures from your flick! I can't hide my aversion towards military series and especially alternative history ones. There's more harm than good in a show like this one. Zipang is tenfold better in every way.   Overall Rating: 4/10   14. The Hakkenden: Shin Shou The Hakkenden: Legend of the Dog Warriors Part 2 THE八犬伝 新章 [AIC] (Finished 7/7) Tags: Shounen Historical, Martial Arts, Mythology, Samurai Action, Adventure Second part of The Hakkenden. Prequel was very chaotic with all the demons. But this sequel is way worse as it borders illusions or alternative realities all the time now. Action is same good, but it's the kind of mess I can't tolerate.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Fantasia Girl from Phantasia ふぁんたじあ [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance Akihiro is a teenaged boy with fantasies. He's about to have date with his girlfriend Miyuki when he finds a strange carpet on his way home. Home, a pretty and over-energetic girl named Malon appears from the carpet. She tells Akihiro about the world of Phantasia and wants to live with Akihiro. But even if Akihiro loves pretty girls, he becomes angry with Malon's magical powers and drives her away. The maniac wizard, Roll, who wants to kill Malon, doesn't help at all. Just 28 minutes for another one-shot about girl suddenly appearing in boy's room. And it manages to turn into love octangle and even draws a conflict with the rival. Just Urusei Yatsura one-shot clone with very little sense into it.   Overall Rating: 4/10   16. Time Bokan Oudou Fukko Time Bokan: Royal Revival タイムボカン王道復古 [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Mecha, Parody Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi A laugh-out-loud hilarious adventure from the studio behind Gatchaman and Speed Racer! Who has what it takes to be the baddest of the bad? It's evil versus evil as teams of bad guys compete to be the meanest villains ever! Watch and laugh as the Dorombo Gang and their Kitchen Robot take on the worst of the worst in a wacky race to be the greatest villains in anime history! The only force that stands in their way are the superheroes of anime. Will the Gatchaman ninja arrive in time to save the day? The only thing franchise really needs for revival is sexy villain antagonist as she was from the start. As you can expect, none of the kind is presented here. Instead, a lot of different old parties are presented and even starting cool antagonist heroine is drawn ugly here. Now it's a parade of five uglies... franchise is moving towards kids audience more and more from the nice start, and I consider this direction just wrong.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Emblem Take 2 代紋(エンブレム) TAKE2  [Toei Animation] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Seinen Organized Crime, Time Travel Action, Drama Shinjuku, 1983. A member of the Kaeda Yakuza gang, Akutsu Jouji, has lost in a brawl with a university cheering squad, and begs for forgiveness through bitter tears. Since then, nothing has gone well in Jouji's life, until 10 years later in 1993, his friend was ordered to kill him, and as he ran away he killed himself, ending his miserable life. But when Jouji opened his eyes, he was in Shinjuku in 1983, at the fight with the university students that caused things to go wrong. Now with ten more years of memories and experience, Jouji repels the university students with spirit and wisdom. Now he swears to wear a gold emblem around town, and begins his life anew. There has been a whole lot of traditional yakuza OVAs with various obscurity, so there have been enough coverage already. Take2 understands that biker gangs times are mostly done for, so time slip is introduced to move from relatively modern 1993 ten years back in time to the core of wild times. True depiction of petty yakuza make this anime on the better side of the serious yakuza genre, yet it's only decent.   Overall Rating: 6/10   18. Fortune Quest: Yo ni mo Shiawase na Boukensha-tachi フォーチュン・クエスト　～世にも幸せな冒険者たち～ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Fortune Quest is the tale of a bunch of adventurers. Imagine your classic D&D party—Fighter, Thief, Bard, Mage, Healer ...and Porter? Okay, don't know where the Porter comes from, but Pastel and her group of adventurers are broke and need a job. They can't afford to buy any of the adventure modules from the module seller, so they have to take part-time jobs to pay off their debts. And an innocent job to fetch holy water leads to world-threatening danger ...and a white dragon. First episode actually deserved a masterpiece, but dungeon was a big downer, so no matter how I like adventurer parties, it's only decent. And it has a bard that can compete for the most useless bard ever! And that's usually my favorite class...   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Chouon Senshi Borgman 2: Shin Seiki 2058 Sonic Soldier Borgman 2: New Century 2058 超音戦士ボーグマン2 [SECOND] -新世紀2058- [Production Reed] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Mythology Action, Sci-Fi In 2058, the menace of the Youma (demons) returns under the evil leadership of the Master. A new generation of Borgman, under the leadership of Chuck Sweager, is mankind's only hope of stopping the plague of evil before it consumes all of Megalocity. But Ken, an unwilling recruit to the Borgman, may have more in common with the enemy than with humankind... Well... just average, by today's standards even worse. Just milking memories.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru: Owarinaki Toki no Monogatari 魔神英雄伝ワタル　終わりなき時の物語 [Sunrise] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Fantasy The story is about a 9-year-old boy named Wataru Ikusabe who is magically transported to a magical realm of the gods called Sokaizan which he is supposed to save. He also befriends many of the Soukaizan natives, and forms some very strong friendship bonds. I'm really surprised to find this first and closest clone of Dragon ball to be still alive and kicking. Since there are at least three better imitators already, this one feels sour now. Sunrise is slow to adapt to anything new, as usual.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Shibai Taroka しばいたろか  [Knack Productions] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Delinquents, School Action, Comedy, Romance There is a new student at Oobu High School. His name is Yakuda Daigo. With his buff body and a tough looking face that can make every one run, soon rumors spread about him. Some says he's a gang leader, others say he is involved with Yakuza business, still more say he rapes, steals and likes beating people. There are only a handful of people who know who Yakuda really is, including Manami-a. She is a girl Yakuda fell in love with. Yakuda loves to cook and he likes cute things. He also enjoys gardening, crafting and adores pets. He is a very caring person. He always carries around a cute sewing kit and a cute first-aid kit around. However, with many unfortunate events, he often gets involved with a gang fight or a criminal, along with other coincidental things that happens around him. People always assume the worse for him. Will everyone find out who he really is? We've already seen delinquent going for sewing club, now there's a delinquent going into gardening club, but the core is the same - he likes cute stuff and is shy with girls while everyone thinks of him as a brute. Ok, but not great.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Yokohama Bakkure-tai 横浜ばっくれ隊 [Toei Animation, Knack Productions] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Shounen Delinquents Action, Comedy, Romance It's all gags and fighting as gangster Tsunematsu Narita (the "biggest idiot in Yokohama") causes havoc in the neighborhood with his two henchmen. Based on the Shonen Champion manga by Tetsu Kusumoto. Not translated. Since it's not a part of some franchise, but original title, had to look into it, because who else would. The good thing is that it's comedy focused. The bad thing is that characters lack individuality and almost everyone looks similar. In other regards it's just as the worse half of yakuza anime - low quality , weird gimmicks , etch, violence and chaotic events failing to present somewhat integral plot.   Overall Rating: 4/10   23. Aesop Douwa イソップ童話 [-] (Finished 0/3) Tags: - - Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   24. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: The Movie Sailor Moon R: The Movie - The Promise of the Rose 美少女戦士セーラームーンＲ THE MOVIE [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Drama, Romance When Mamoru was little he gave a rose to a little boy named Fiore. Fiore promised that one day he would bring Mamoru lots of flowers. Now Fiore has come back to earth but his intentions are not merely to fulfil a promise... Feels like finale of some arc. Drawing seems to be more precise, but at times it looks worse. Overall, more of the same, nothing special spotted.   Overall Rating: 6/10   25. Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Arata naru Tatakai no Overture Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Overture to a New War 銀河英雄伝説外伝　新たなる戦いの序曲[オーヴァチュア] [Magic Bus, Kitty Film Mitaka Studio] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adult Cast, Military, Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi Led by Reinhard von Müsel, the Galactic Empire crushes the Free Planets Alliance in the Fourth Battle of Tiamat. Arriving in the Imperial capital of Odin to a hero's welcome, Reinhard's victory earns him a promotion to High Admiral and the distinguished title of Count von Lohengramm. On the other side, Yang Wen-li safely returns to the Alliance capital of Heinessen without fanfare and reunites with his dear friends. Reinhard and Yang look forward to a long-awaited reprieve. However, at the request of the scheming Duke Otho von Braunschweig, the Imperial High Command orders the new High Admiral to invade the Alliance with a fleet of twenty thousand ships. After the Duke leaks the plan to the Alliance government, three fleets totalling forty thousand ships are sent to counter the incoming attack and recreate the famous Battle of Dagon. But even though Reinhard is outnumbered two to one, he has an ingenious plan—and Yang sees right through it. Will Yang's superiors heed his warning before it is too late? As it's retelling of the beginning, waste of time.   Overall Rating: 4/10   26. Coo: Tooi Umi kara Kita Coo Coo 遠い海から来たクー [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Slice of Life  Obata Yousuke lives on Pagopago in the Fiji archipelago with his father Tetsuo, a specialist in oceanographic biology. After a storm strikes the island, Yousuke rides to the lagoon with his Jet Ski and finds a strange baby dinosaur there. He takes it to his father's laboratory and names it Coo. Coo grows and seems to be a large marine reptile (a baby plesiosaur) which lived there some 65 million years ago. But Coo soon becomes an object of interest for the French secret service, assigned to protect the nuclear interests of France in that otherwise peaceful part of the world. I don't see how this animal story in the core can be of interest to anyone but kids. Change plesiosaur to some whale or dolphin, and you probably seen it already. Or even don't change , and you've still seen it in the first Doraemon movie. Plain childish.   Overall Rating: 4/10   27. Mother: Saigo no Shoujo Eve MOTHER 最後の少女イヴ [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi  The future is bleak and urbanized. A government super-power holds the keys to all the doors. Hope lies in a secret organization who kidnaps "gifted" children and teaches them to wield their ability to view the life energy of all living things. A young girl befriends a sempai, a street rat comes to rescue her, and two parents wait helplessly to see their daughter one last time... Finally a movie about psychics that does not make me want to throw up instantly. Plot is very simple, literally just running away, and second half of the movie is explanation of the world , history , universe and hint of the future. It does not transcend beyond decent, though .   Overall Rating: 6/10   28. Bonobono ぼのぼの [Group TAC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Anthropomorphic Comedy The first theatrical Bonobono movie. It's not familiar, so why not watch and sample it. Actually, miracle happened, and this movie is not only for kids. There is enough nice humor and observations - enough to not block it as kids work, but not enough for a decent status.   Overall Rating: 5/10   29. Aoi Kioku: Manmou Kaitaku to Shounen-tachi 蒼い記憶 満蒙開拓と少年たち [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical, Military Drama A class of Japanese youths volunteer for the war effort during WWII, but then get stranded in Manchuria. Not translated. Well, I don't see real meaning in watching kids in patriotic awe wanting to fight for their horrible regime and then getting stood up. I watched, and it was not good. What can I say - turn on brains if your country calls to kill people on foreign territory, damn it.   Overall Rating: 4/10   30. Battle Spirits: Ryuuko no Ken Art of Fighting バトルスピリッツ　龍虎の拳 [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action, Comedy While trying to rescue a cat, martial artist Ryo Sakazaki and his playboy best friend Robert Garcia unwittingly break into a jewel thief's apartment. Moments after entering, they witness the thief being murdered by a group of thugs. Despite fighting their way out and escaping, things go from bad to worse when Ryo and Robert learn that the thugs were working for Mr. Big, the biggest crime boss in South Town. Not only does Mr. Big believe that the two have stolen the "Eye of Sirius," a priceless diamond, but he has also kidnapped Ryo's younger sister Yuri, and is holding her hostage. Without the diamond and out of options, Ryo and Robert must fight their way past Mr. Big's men and save Yuri before it's too late. Video game to anime transition passed even worse than Fatal Fury...   Overall Rating: 4/10
  20. kivandopulus
    Can nominate only Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor 2 the Movie and Crayon Shin-chan Movie 01: Action Kamen vs. Haigure Maou as minor masterpieces.   1. Tenchi Muyou! Ryououki: Omatsuri Zenjitsu no Yoru! 天地無用！魎皇鬼 SPECIAL お祭り前日の夜！  [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Harem Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi  After his recent battle in space, Tenchi Masaki believes that his fighting days are over. Unfortunately, his life is far from peaceful since Aeka Jurai Masaki and Ryouko Hakubi—the two women giving him the most grief—cannot seem to get along, continuing to fight over who gets to be Tenchi's lover. Since their usual romantic strategies fail, Aeka and Ryouko decide to research how to woo a man. After spending hours going through shoujo manga, the two decide to act like the girls they've read about and put Tenchi through various scenarios, with the hope that he will fall in love with one of them. Compared to original setting is finalized already, so there is room for more humor and harem stuff as there is hardly any story in special. Better, yet not great.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Casshern: Robot Hunter Casshan: Robot Hunter キャシャーン [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi In the near future, robot technology has advanced to the point of self-awareness. Under the leadership of the "Black King," machines have decimated the human population and conquered the world. Those who survived the early holocaust have been enslaved for life. But throughout the hardships, a lone hero appears as the savior of mankind. He is Casshan - a fusion of man and machine driven to combat Black King and his forces to the end. This anime does not even have any credible source, just a horrible superpower flick from the 1970s. Everything remains pretty schematic, and with the rotten core no building around it can bring anything good.   Overall Rating: 5/10   3. Mermaid's Scar 人魚の傷 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery Legend has it that when you eat the flesh of a mermaid, you would live forever. Yuta and Mana are living proof of this... Together, they journey to various places trying to find meaning for their existence, or perhaps even a "cure" for their situation. One day, Yuta and Mana meet Masato, a little boy who seems terrified of his mother Misa. It seems to Yuta and Mana that mother and son have a very unusual relationship. What happens when Yuta and Mana decide to discover the dark secret Masato and Misa are hiding? And what about those monster-like creatures that have been appearing? Mermaid forest prequel was plain horrible, this one is also pretty disgusting, only for those who like trashy depressing horrors.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Eightman After 8 Man After エイトマン AFTER [J.C.Staff] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi Private detective Hazama Itsuru is hired by Professor Tani to investigate a cyborg parts theft which eventually leads him to meet Sachiko Yokogawa, the original 8 Man's love interest. Living her new life working for the Biotecho Corp., Sachiko finds herself involved with a new 8 Man, who appears after Hazama is fatally wounded by an unknow cyborg. Amidst a violent urban background with cyber-junkies creating chaos around the city, this other 8 Man will fight criminals in a more agressive way. Eightman was chronologically the first anime that I rated as ONE. This superhero continuation with schematic plot is disgrace to the whole cyberpunk genre. Also has some disturbingly bloody scenes.   Overall Rating: 4/10   5. A-Girl A-Girl [エー・ガール] [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Music, School Romance High-school student Mariko and her elder sister Mayu are forced out of their apartment by a fire and move in with their landlord. Mariko meets the landlord's handsome son, Natsume, who is also a model. They fall in love but break up when Mariko discovers that Natsume is seeing other girls. Eventually, they are reunited, and the end credits roll. A-Girl has no dialog and is performed against a background of Japanese pop songs composed by Okada Tooru and sung in English! by SEIKA. Intertiles provide continuity, like in old silent films. It's a musical with all the dialogues shown at still black screen like in old movies. There's also pretty weird torn directorship with a lot of disjointed scenes not getting into integral picture...   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Youseiki Suikoden Suikoden Demon Century 妖世紀水滸伝 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Martial Arts Action, Fantasy In the early 21st century, an earthquake destroyed Tokyo. Japan lost its center of government and industry, and turned into a lawless territory. Looking for his sister, Takateru Suga learns that she was kidnapped by the powerful Koryukai gang. He decides to ally himself with a drag queen, two ex-mercenaries and a nun to destroy the crime organization and save his sister! Well, yeah, a bunch of different guys attack organization and rescue sister, sometimes it looks good, but the main question is why exactly should someone spend 45 minutes on cheap action.   Overall Rating: 5/10   7. Big Wars: Kami Utsu Akaki Kouya ni Big Wars ビッグ・ウォーズ 神撃つ朱き荒野に [Magic Bus] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Military, Space Action, Sci-Fi It is the dawn of the 21st century. Mankind has terraformed and colonized Mars. But we are not alone in the universe. An ancient race of alien beings, known only as "The Gods," has been watching mankind's progress ...and waiting. Now, these mysterious aliens have returned to halt mankind's expansion into space ...by force. Now, the planet named after the God of War will become our final battlefield, as mankind fights a desperate battle with the latest in high-tech, military hardware: hyper-advanced aircraft, orbital fighters, and gigantic, desert battleships brimming with the most advanced weaponry. But will it be enough? The aliens have awesome, incredibly destructive weapons at their disposal—including "Hell"—an unstoppable stealth carrier. But the alien's primary weapon is insidiously quiet and invisible—a mind control plaque. Incurable. Inevitable. Contagious. Humans are powerless to resist its effects, which transforms even the most loyal soldiers into dangerous subversives. Our last hope lies with Captain Akuh and the crew of the Battleship Aoba. If his top-secret mission is successful, mankind will deal a decisive blow to the alien armada. But Akuh's girlfriend is showing signs of nymphomania—the first symptom of alien subversion! It's mostly about hallucinations, gore and explosions. Often surreal development and unsatisfying ending contribute to the weak impact.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Bad Boys  [Toei Video] (Finished 3/5) Tags: Seinen Delinquents Action, Comedy Tsukasa, Yoji, and Eiji are friends and members of the motorcycle gang called the Paradise Butterflies. Riding the streets of Hiroshima, their goal in life is to top all other gangs in their city. Only three of five episodes are translated. This is one of three delinquents anime that were issued at a pace of 1-2 episodes over many years, and these are usually of higher quality than usual - better pace and comedy with more variation. It's generally on the same level as Shounan Bakusouzoku. I'd consider giving it a masterpiece if it was fully translated.   Overall Rating: 6/10   9. Idol Bouei-tai Hummingbird Hummingbirds アイドル防衛隊ハミングバード [Ashi Productions] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Idols (Female), Military, Music, Parody Comedy When the Japanese government puts civilian organizations in charge of the country's air force, some of these companies decide to put their aspiring idol singers behind the controls of their fighter planes. Among these groups of idol singers is Hummingbird, a five-woman team consisting of the Toreishi sisters: Satsuki, Uzuki, Yayoi, Kanna and Mina. During a taping session, video director Kudou sees some potential in these girls and jumps in to help them reach the top of the charts by directing their debut video. It's musical with idols in the first place and military as a side dish. Not bad , especially after a huge number of failed modern idol anime, but not a masterpiece .   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Hon Ran Crimson Wolf 紅狼[ホンラン] [Streamline Pictures] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Martial Arts Action The fate of the world rests in the ability of three untested warriors to defeat an unearthly army of darkness. Sorcery, martial arts and an unrequited love, spanning the centuries, explode in an epic battle at the gates of the forbidden city. Crimson Wolf is an unusual departure for the Anime genre - rooted in real world reference, it makes the fantasy all the more believable. A cringy story with past mystical references and strangely placed nudity.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Ryuuseiki Gakusaver Shooting Star Gakusaver 流星機ガクセイバー [Production I.G] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Mecha, Parody, School, Space Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi A gigantic meteorite landed on earth a few years back. A mysterious capsule believed to have belonged to the aliens was discovered. Called the "black box," an international organization called "Project BB" was created to research it. Eight boys, including Manabu Yoshimura, attend International Academy, a school located near Project BB headquarters. They are enticed by their teacher Toukichi Hashiba's promise of "I'll give you class credit," and end up getting involved in his experiment. The experiment was to enter the eight empty chambers of meteorite. According to Hashiba's theory, the meteorite should strongly respond to strong human thoughts. He tells them to have a clear image of a great looking gigantic robot; if they do, something should happen... Then, a big spaceship appears in the sky and an alien calling himself Wercury appears in a 3-D image. He tells them he is from the Star of Prokimasi and that he has come to collect the meteorite of the Choshin people. If they do not hand it over, he will challenge the earth beings to a battle. Manabu and his friends are confused by the unexpected turn of events but the meteorite responds to the thoughts of the group and suddenly starts to transform itself into a gigantic robot. Then, attacked by the invading Prokimasi robot, they are forced to pull their strength together and fight back. But it is extremely difficult to put the wills of the eight together as one and the robot cannot fight in the way it should. The gigantic robot that Hashiba named "Gakusaver" and Manabu's eight; can they manage to protect Earth and the meteorite from the Prokimasi invasion? It's so silly that sometimes it's funny. But most of the time it's not. Still, among mecha it's decent.   Overall Rating: 6/10   12. Akuemon 悪右衛門 [Tezuka Productions] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Fantasy, Romance  A fortuneteller tells Hidari Taisho that he must hunt down 1000 foxes in order to conquer the country. So Akuemon, who is disliked by everybody, is hired to do the foxhunting. In response, the foxes send a female fox to Akuemon's house disguised as his wife. A story unfolds between Akuemon, who has never loved anyone, and the female fox, who slowly discovers true love in him even while tormented by sorrow over her comrades' death. This is the 6th work in "The Lion Books" series. It is also the first attempt by visualist Tezuka Makoto, Tezuka's older son, to render an original of his father's into an animated version. Well, Tezuka pulls out some old father's work, but it's not something special, don't know why to spend 25 minutes on it at all. There's just nothing gained after it, resolution is just bad.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Kiss wa Hitomi ni Shite キッスは瞳にして [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Drama, Romance High school student Morisato Ibuki has a startling dream about kissing a prince on a white horse. The next day, the prince from her dream, Ebisu Naoto, shows up as a transfer student at her school and a guest at her house. He had indeed kissed her, in an attempt to wake her up in the morning, although he claims that she kissed him. Ibuki is smitten with Naoto, but he seems to have other commitments, to American football and to a mysterious girl called Kawahara Izumi. Meanwhile, Nitta, a shy boy in Ibuki's class, has a crush on her. Will true love eventually find a way? Being cut as at is with dream about a prince on a white horse it's full of usual shoujo stamps and due to 30 minutes length there's no time to transform that impression already. But it has time to insert some song in the middle. In this state it's nothing worthy to talk about.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Oedo wa Nemurenai! お江戸はねむれない! [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Historical Drama, Fantasy We are now in the early 18th century, the Kyouhou era, when the merchant culture was flourishing. In Yoshiwara, the red light district of Edo, there is a popular courtesan with good looks and character, called Usugumo. She in fact is a daughter of a Christianized prostitute and Tokugawa Yoshimune (who was a real historical character and the 8th Shogun of Japan), but the power struggle in these times doesn't allow her to be with her father. Her fate is about to change when she meets the blond haired thief, Kikunosuke. With Kikunosuke, a doctor named Aoto Touichirou, who uses the yet unfamiliar Western medicine, and her pet cat, Kotetsu, Usugumo forms a thief group, the Kikugumi. In the meanwhile, a member of a mysterious group appears, aiming for Usugumo... Again, just 30 minutes, and very little explanation. As a result, it's a series of seemingly random clashes with new and new characters jumping out all the time, also a good doze of cringe with battle dolls.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. Mellow 女郎 [めろう] [KSS] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Crossdressing, Delinquents, School Comedy A story about a crossdressing teacher handling a delinquent class. Based on the same-name seinen manga by Rin Kasahara. Not translated. Protagonist cross-dresses to hide from yakuza and uses skills gained in the underworld to deal with delinquent class. It barely has anything of notice except eternal trap flashes and stupidest imaginable "humor".   Overall Rating: 4/10   16. Naniwa Kinyuu Den: Minami no Teiou 難波金融伝 ミナミの帝王 [KSS] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Drama The story centers around Ginjirou Manda, a loan shark who charges toichi — 10% more interest every 10 days, or 365% every year. Thanks to his unrelenting money-collecting tactics, he is feared as Minami no Oni or the Demon of Osaka's Minami business district. Not translated. Original was live action, and this is kinda its continuation. I don't see the point why would someone want to see one yakuza-like person claiming debts from other yakuza-like persons.   Overall Rating: 4/10   17. Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor 2 the Movie 機動警察パトレイバー2 the Movie [Bandai Visual] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Detective, Mecha, Military Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi Three years after the Babylon Project conspiracy is resolved, the members of Kiichi Gotou's Patlabor unit have gone their separate ways. Gotou remains with the Patlabor team, accompanied by Shinobu Nagumo, his romantic crush and comrade. Playing into the public's skepticism toward the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, a terrorist organization begins to work from within the military to cause destruction and mass civil unrest throughout Japan. Nagumo learns that the mastermind behind the growing terrorist plot is none other than Yukihito Tsuge, her former mentor and lover. Gotou reassembles his former Patlabor team, spearheaded by pilot Noa Izumi. Leading the team into a mission to arrest Tsuge, Nagumo must come to terms with her complicated past relationships in order to save Japan. It has very little to do with Patlabor franchise since mecha show up for a very little time and all the goofy attitude vanished without trace. It's a serious conspiracy story that in the end allowed its spiritual successor GITS with its tachikomas to truly shine. A lot of interesting visual instruments are used to make constant talks and observation of landscapes less boring. It was still relatively boring for me, even most vague GITS movies never could afford such slow pace.   Overall Rating: 7/10   18. Yuu☆Yuu☆Hakusho (Movie) Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie 幽☆遊☆白書 [Pierrot] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Mythology Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural Yusuke Urameshi is not exactly what you'd call an angel. In fact, some might call him down right devilish. But when he dies in an accident trying to save a child, he finds himself in the Spirit World. Unfortunately for Yusuke, his name is not listed in the Book of Enma, which means it was one big mistake! So he should return from the Spirit World, but must pass a few tests first, and become a detective of the spiritual world. So now Yusuke works in the Spirit World as a half-dead, half-alive agent for Koenma, son of the ruler of the Spirit World. This position does have its disadvantages, especially when you're trying to enjoy your summer vacation and Koenma gets kidnapped! So now Yusuke must interrupt his summer fun to find Koenma and trade the Golden Seal of King Enma for his life. But if someone other then King Enma has the Golden Seal there will be chaos in the Spirit World! What's a half-dead spirit detective to do? With the aide of his closest allies, Yusuke sets off for Magma Valley, to save the life of the one who saved his, and find out who's at the bottom of this evil conspiracy. It's called movie with 24 minute length... suuure. All it has is action that is probably important in the course of the series , but was hardly of significance for me. There's even no humor, nothing to add scores for .   Overall Rating: 5/10   19. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 01: Action Kamen vs. Haigure Maou 映画 クレヨンしんちゃん　アクション仮面ＶＳハイグレ魔王 [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Action, Adventure, Comedy By finding a rare Action Kamen card, Shinnosuke Nohara and his family end up being chosen to go to a parallel world and help foil an alien invasion that is occurring over there. It's inevitable that density of jokes suffers if one story takes 90 minutes instead of 7 minutes. I was actually happy to learn more about Action Kamen and kindergarten director. There was quite a number of solid jokes in the course. Being enjoyable is all that matters in the end.   Overall Rating: 7/10   20. Ohoshi-sama no Rail Rail of the Star: A True Story of Children お星さまのレール [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Drama This is the autobiographic tale of Kobayashi Chitose, a young Japanese girl growing up in a Japanese-occupied North Korea. As World War II progresses, Chitose begins to realize that her family will not be able to escape the effects of the conflict. From the simple disappointment of not being able to get the type of backpack she wants for school, to her father's recruitment as a soldier, the war begins to impact her life in a very real manner. But the end of the war does not mean the end of hardship for her. The Koreans, fed up with years of Japanese rule and persecution, have joined forces with a Chinese-backed communist government and are systematically making life a living horror for the Japanese left in North Korea. Fearing reprisal since he was a Japanese veteran, Chitose's father risks everything to get his family out of the north and to the US-occupied area south of the 38th parallel. A surprisingly decent autobiography during WWII. But real lives are rarely interesting, to be honest. I can't sympathize with such things as not getting the rucksack she liked or getting a needle wound or having her toy crushed by Koreans forcing to evacuate... Bigger events are shown through the prism of small events like that. And of course there's no real climax, no real resolution, so nothing outstanding.   Overall Rating: 6/10   21. Chuumon no Ooi Ryouriten (1993) 注文の多い料理店  [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural Two gentlemen from the city go out hunting. After getting lost on a mountain road they found a cheap restaurant. But everything is not as it seems. A 20 minute fairy-tale about tanuki and hunters, nothing to see here.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. Rokudenashi Blues 1993 ろくでなしBLUES 1993 [Toei Animation] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Shounen Combat Sports, Delinquents, School Action, Comedy, Drama, Sports Sequel to the Rokudenashi Blues movie. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   23. Tsuru ni Notte: Tomoko no Bouken On A Paper Crane: Tomoko's Adventure つるにのって とも子の冒険 [Mushi Production] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama A young girl named Tomoko visits the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. There she has a mysterious meeting with Sadako, the little girl who was 2 years old when the U.S. dropped the bomb on her city during WWII and 11 when she died from the effects of radiation poisoning. Sadako takes Tomoko on an eye-opening journey. It's 27 minutes long and does not have sub version as of now, only dub one, which is a lot worse, as usual. It's literally an anime about playing with the girl statue that sort of comes to life and seeing those days through statue girl's eyes. And radiated girl is happy, because her country does not have to wage wars ever again... sure... it's too cheesy, really.   Overall Rating: 5/10   24. Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle バトルファイターズ餓狼伝説 [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action, Adventure, Drama After defeating Geese Howard, legendary fighter Terry Bogard faces German warrior Wolfgang Krauser, only to suffer a humiliating defeat. Depressed by his loss, Terry wanders around the country, wasting his life through drinking. Only a young boy named Tony can convince Terry to go back to his winning ways, conquer his fears, and once again face Krauser. Original was horrible. This one has at least logical development and some character introduction. In the end it's still poorly staged fighting anime with possible appeal only for series fans.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. Hiroshima ni Ichiban Densha ga Hashitta ヒロシマに一番電車が走った [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Drama The story follows a girl who works on a streetcar both before and after the bomb drops on Hiroshima. Not translated. The adult protagonist already makes it decent, lol. It's mostly 30 minutes of talks, though, so not outstanding yet again.   Overall Rating: 6/10   26. Mikan Enikki Specials みかん絵日記 [Nippon Animation] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shoujo Pets Comedy, Slice of Life An extra episode and a special of the Mikan Enikki series included as a bonus on VHS/DVD's. First special is about English and a bit about romance, so has very little humor. Second special is less than 15 minutes and about just a... parrot, another miss, so overall specials are decent at best.   Overall Rating: 6/10
  21. kivandopulus

    Anime of the Year 1993-II Spring - Gunnm

    By kivandopulus,


    VN of the Year
    Don't know how to put it... but I gave away the first genius masterpiece score to Gunnm already. There's also one firm masterpiece Kyou kara Ore wa!! .   1. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R Sailor Moon R 美少女戦士セーラームーン R [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/43) Tags: Shoujo Mahou Shoujo, Mythology Romance Usagi Tsukino and her friends have been living peacefully until they are called into action again as Sailor Guardians, planetary warriors fighting for the peace of the galaxy. Usagi, also known as Sailor Moon, leads their group into battle when a new threat from beyond the stars presents itself: two survivors of an alien race, An and Ail. In order to save the source of their life force, the Makai Tree, An and Ail begin harvesting energy from unsuspecting humans. The Sailor Guardians must stop their plot or face the annihilation of Earth. But as one threat subsides, another follows—this time in the form of a little girl from the future who seeks the source of Sailor Moon's power to save her family. However, she is not the only one vying for it, as a group known as the Black Moon Clan also wishes to obtain the power and use it for nefarious purposes. In order to protect their destinies and the harmony of the universe, Sailor Moon and the rest of the Sailor Guardians must fight to stop these forces from succeeding. I didn't really distinguish Sailor Moon by seasons as there was always almost seamless continuity, but this time losing and regaining memories definitely feels like a needless filler. Can't force myself to watch it to the end, so it'll be the same max score for such cases - decent.   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Mobile Suit Victory Gundam Mobile Suit V Gundam 機動戦士Vガンダム [Sunrise] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Drama, Sci-Fi In the year 153 of the Universal Century, the tyrannical Zanscare Empire has taken hostile control over Side 2, a space colony outside of Earth's orbit. Following in the footsteps of the long expired Principality of Zeon and the more recent Crossbone Vanguard, Zanscare rules over its subjects with cruelty, routinely using a large guillotine for public executions. Living in Central Europe, space immigrant Üso Ewin joins the League Militaire, a militia made up of civilians frustrated with the Earth Federation's inability to combat the Zanscare Empire. Üso's latent abilities as a psychic Newtype awaken and allow him to pilot the Victory Gundam, the only mobile suit capable of holding off the elite BESPA forces of the Zanscare Empire. Hoping to protect his best friend Shakti Kareen and locate his parents within the ranks of the Federation, Üso fights on with the Victory, striving to bring an end to the empire's reign. If someone like Sunrise is doing different versions of something like Gundam for many years, there should be at least something good out of it eventually. All I can say by first 3 episodes is that it's absolutely not beginner-friendly and with no attempt to attract viewers. As usual without any explanation everyone starts to run somewhere with open mouths while someone fighting someone else all the time. As usual, no attempt of character development or anything at all to make this pile of garbage to feel integral rather than pointless action for action's sake .   Overall Rating: 4/10   3.  GS Mikami Ghost Sweeper Mikami GS（ゴーストスイーパー）美神 [Toei Animation] (Finished 3/45) Tags: Comedy, Supernatural  In a world plagued with malicious ghosts, how is it possible to combat the existence of such evil spirits? The answer is to hire a "Ghost Sweeper"—a professional exorcist, whose duty is to exterminate any unwanted ghoul or poltergeist. When it comes to Ghost Sweepers, Reiko Mikami is considered to be a cut above the rest. After receiving an offer to examine a haunting near Jinkotsu Hot Spring, she sets off to put her skills to work. Accompanied by her assistants, the underpaid and perverted high school student Tadao Yokoshima and the friendly teenage ghost Kinu Himuro, GS Mikami details the wacky exploits and adventures of these three as they go about investigating paranormal activities. The closest thing it reminds me is City hunter. Again two partners, again episodic approach with no real plot, again pervy protagonist who does not mind who to grope anything with a skirt. But woman takes the lead here, and cases are usually about ghosts. Humor is ok. It may be ghost aversion talking in me, but GS Mikami does not deserve a masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Kenyuu Densetsu Yaiba Legendary Brave Swordsman Yaiba 剣勇伝説ＹＡＩＢＡ [Pastel] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action, Comedy, Fantasy Kurogane Yaiba is a boy who doesn't want to become what any regular kid would: A samurai. That's why he undergoes a hard training with his father, knowing only the forest as his world. Then, one day, he is sent to Japan, where he has to deal with a whole new civilized reality, meeting the Mine family, the evil Onimaru and even the legendary Musashi, having lots of dangerous adventures, becoming stronger everyday. I never heard of Yaiba and it never got my attention during previous chronological MAL exploration. Now I understand, why - it's a shounen for smaller children. Kind of Dragon Ball setting meets Dororo story development. There have been so many decent Dragon Ball imitators that this one does not stand out.   Overall Rating: 6/10   5. Dragon League ドラゴンリーグ [Gallop] (Finished 3/39) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sports Tokio and his father Amon go to the soccer country of Elevenia where they see a parade of the strongest soccer team of that country, the Winners. Amon challenges the team captain Leon to a soccer battle and, when Amon loses, Leon turns him into a miniature dragon. Tokio sees the fight and decides to challenge against Leon so that Amon can become human again. This fantasy spokon is dubbed on so many languages that it's evident from the start that it's a safe story for kids. It looks like author wanted to make a perfect kid story and hesitated between dragons, dinosaurs and soccer, then just decided to wrap it all in. It's so bad, I can't discuss it seriously.   Overall Rating: 4/10   6. Shippuu! Iron Leaguer 疾風！ アイアンリーガー [Sunrise] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Team Sports Sci-Fi The Iron League: a place where teams of robots, under individual "owners", play various sports and duke it out in tournaments. Mach Windy is a member of Dark Prince, a team that doesn't play fair and fights dirty to win. Unsatisfied with the actions of his teammates, he defects against the will of Dark Prince's nefarious owner and joins Silver Prince: the weakest team in the league. Alongside faithful companions such as Magnum Ace and Bull Armor, Mach Windy and Silver Prince will battle against Dark Prince in games of soccer and baseball, and aim for the top! Another wrongly marked kids show. Sunrise has hit a new low.   Overall Rating: 1/10   7. Nekketsu Saikyou Go-Saurer 熱血最強ゴウザウラー [Sunrise] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Mecha Action, Sci-Fi The Kikaika (literally mechanization) Empire invades our solar system, and in a matter of moments they take over and convert Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter,and Mars, and set their sights on Earth. However, one thing stands in their way. Earth's ancient protector and soldier of light, Eldoran. To fight this menace he gifts a 5th-grade class with 3 huge robotic dinosaurs, with the power to merge and form the giant robot Gosaurer, which they then can pilot and use to stop the Kikaika Empire's advances. I'll soon be saying "It's Sunrise, so avoid at all cost" with this tendency. Usual stupid Sunrise stuff with stupid story, stupid enemies and every single character being stupid as well.   Overall Rating: 3/10   8. Gunnm Battle Angel Alita 銃夢 GUNNM [Madhouse] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shounen Mecha Drama, Sci-Fi Doc Ido, a doctor and mechanic who lives and works in the hellish, postapocalyptic "Scrapyard," finds the—miraculously preserved—remains of a female cyborg in a junk heap. After he revives and rebuilds her, the preternaturally strong, amnesiac "Gally" begins to forge a life for herself in a world where every day can bring a fight for life. I watched it twice in the past, and both times it was great. With pounding heart has watched it again now to see if was missing some flaws. It hits all my weak spots so precisely that I have a really hard time finding any shortcomings in it at all. It's both perfect and genius. It's staggering how it all fit in just one hour and finished with every single character line complete. The world conquest of anime begins now.   Overall Rating: 10/10   9. Kyou kara Ore wa!! 今日から俺は！！  [Pierrot] (Finished 10/10) Tags: Shounen Delinquents Comedy Two transfer students, Mitsuhashi Takashi and Itou Shinji, tired of their boring normal life and unpopularity decide to take their arrival at a new school as an opportunity to reinvent their image, and become delinquents! Itou's justice clashing with Mitsuhashi's mischievous ways, they initially antagonize one another but soon become fast friends. The delinquent duo set out on various misadventures to become the greatest delinquents in all Japan! There have been a lot of delinquents anime, I could rate as masterpieces only Karate-bu and Shounan Bakusouzoku, because only those had a good balance of violence and humor while others relied on violence so much that it got repetitive. Compared to them Kyou kara Ore wa has a tilt towards comedy while staying serious, plus it issued over five years, so there is time to make each episode as saturated as possible. Since it's better than competitors and I could enjoy it, it's a 8, not higher since it's anything but intellectual.   Overall Rating: 8/10   10. Ai Monogatari: 9 Love Stories 愛物語 9 Love Stories [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Romance An OVA based on the work of Kawaguchi Kaiji consisting of nine independent stories, each animated by a different director. With Beatles music involved, somewhere. Can't stand omnibus format. There's roughly 90 minutes for 9 stories, so I don't know what to talk about here, no time even to learn names, just throw concept and go on.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Suna no Bara: Yuki no Mokushiroku 砂の薔薇[デザート・ローズ] 雪の黙示録 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action Mariko Rosebank leads a team of all-female anti-terrorist mercenaries, named C.A.T. This all-woman team is sent to guard a meeting of world leaders against a terrorist attack. A very short and very ordinary action by female squad, too bland to waste time on it.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Singles  [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Romance Graduating senior Sakisaka Saki is secretly in love with her older sister Noriko's boyfriend, Kazame Kaname, unaware that Noriko and Kaname have broken up. Saki hopes to escape her dilemma when she goes to college, but she ends up attending the same college as Kaname. During orientation, she is recruited to Kaname's video club. He wants to film her, but so does another boy, Tachibana Daichi, who is secretly in love with her. Can the knots be untangled and true love find its true course? 30 minutes of talks about feelings and long sights.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Fight!!  [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural Yonosuke Hikura appears to be an ordinary high school student. Yet he has inherited the important role of protecting the harmony between Heaven and Earth. With the help of the magical sword Chitentai, and Tsukinojo Inbe, he courageously battles the demons, sending them back to the Earth World, from which they have escaped. It all takes only 30 minutes and over half of it is wasted to find the just dropped artifact, so imagine the depth of the demon fighting part. Rushed and chaotic with nothing to remember by.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Pops  [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Romance, Slice of Life Harada Kusuko is a high school girl with a secret crush on the class playboy, Mishima Takeshi. After breaking up with his most recent girlfriend, Mishima asks Kusuko to be his date for the class trip to Kyoto. She's over the moon, but in fact, Mishima is hung up on Shouko, his middle school teacher. Despite the age gap (and general inappropriateness of the relationship), Mishima still sees Shouko, whose marriage is disintegrating. His friend and loyal wingman, Kotaro, openly disapproves of this connection. As the emotional tensions mount, Mishima becomes involved in fights with other boys, and eventually, he's expelled from school. Feeling like he's been a complete jerk, Mishima breaks up with Kusuko and drops out of her life. Will true love find a way? What 30 minutes is enough for? For anything! So let's draw a full-scale love square with many bystanders and emotional events! Except that it's going to be super rushed with no one properly fleshed out. Add to that immature juvenile hysterics and you'll get the idea.   Overall Rating: 5/10   15. NG Knight Ramune & 40 DX: Wakuwaku Jikuu - Honoo no Daisousasen NG騎士ラムネ&40DX ワクワク時空 炎の大捜査戦 [Production Reed] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Lamune and Da Cider head off to Puff-Puff Palace to rescue two beautiful barely clothed maidens, Gold Mountain and Silver Mountain- the Mountain Duo. This of course infuriates Milk and Leska, who with a rather confused and unwilling Cocoa "transform" into "Seinaru Milky", "Seinaru Cacao", and "Seinaru Lemon". The three then head after their would-be boyfriends to extract their revenge. Humor has become more crazy, but surprisingly more fun as well. A rare example of sequel surpassing prequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10   16. Oshare Kozou wa Hanamaru The Fashion Boy is Cool お洒落小僧は花マルッ [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Romance Kotobuki is a cheerful outgoing 14 year old girl. She's a young lady with good fashion sense and her favorite pass-time includes browsing through specialty shops, gift shops, and clothing stores. Her favorite store is "Galopine Et Galopin", a clothing store run by a young fashion designer named Hodaka-san. Hodaka is a handsome, quiet, reserved young man who's designs are making him very popular in the fashion world. Usual naïve Shoujo is addressed now to twice older fashion designer. Ugh, way too simple.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Nenbutsu Monogatari 念仏物語 [-] (Finished 0/7) Tags: Historical A telling of Pure Land Buddhism focusing on Shinran Shounin and Rennyo. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   18. Juubee Ninpuuchou Ninja Scroll 獣兵衛忍風帖 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical, Samurai Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Supernatural Jubei Kibagami wanders feudal Japan as an itinerant swordsman-for-hire. After a past betrayal left him masterless, he has no more patience for warring political factions and their schemes. Unfortunately, both past and political intrigue collide when he meets and saves a female ninja named Kagero from a man with the ability to make his body as hard as stone. The sole survivor of a ninja clan, Kagero continues her team's last mission: investigate a mysterious plague that wiped out an entire village. Jubei wants nothing to do with this, but the stone-like man's allies, a group of ninja with supernatural powers known as the Devils of Kimon, make that option difficult. To make matters worse, a government spy poisons Jubei, promising him an antidote if he can unravel the true intentions of the Devils of Kimon and their connection to the plague. The trail leads to shadow leaders, a plot to overthrow the government, and a man that Jubei thought he would never see again. I'm not being greedy here or anything, but I could not enjoy it, no real thrill - just action and more and more weird enemies. If only it had more historical or even imaginary plot focus or fleshed out protagonists.   Overall Rating: 6/10   19. Mii-chan no Tenohira みいちゃんのてのひら [Magic Bus] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Historical Drama Based on the book by Kikuko Inaba. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   20. Umi ga Kikoeru The Ocean Waves 海がきこえる [Studio Ghibli] (Finished 1/1) Tags: School Drama, Romance, Slice of Life In the city of Kouchi, high school student Taku Morisaki is going about his work when his friend Yutaka Matsuno calls and asks him to get to their school as soon as possible. Taku arrives, and Matsuno introduces him to Rikako Muto, a beautiful girl from Tokyo who recently transferred to their school. Although Rikako is academically and athletically gifted, her generally unpleasant attitude leaves her with virtually no friends outside of Matsuno and another girl from her class. After a chance encounter during their class trip, Taku suddenly finds himself more involved in Rikako's personal life, much to Matsuno's dismay. Struggling to balance his friendship with Matsuno and his own budding infatuation for Rikako, Taku must come to terms with his feelings and understand how a girl with a troubled past is having such a massive effect on his life. Wow, first Ghibli work to be rated so low by me. Reason is that it's even worse than "Only Yesterday" that had at least two nice fantasy-like moments and understandable concept. Umi ga Kikoeru has zero good scenes. Every scene with main heroine Rikako is painful for me as she is an absolutely hysterical jerk. And after some 5 events , each with like half year pause between them love just happens, just because. The only reason last scene is depicted as happy one is because Rikako shuts her mouth for once , because every time she speaks it's some utter nonsense. And of course after "Only Yesterday" we get another stupid case of hitting female in the face... why everything is so bad here...   Overall Rating: 5/10
  22. kivandopulus
    In the end could only point out Musekinin Kanchou Tylor as a minor masterpiece.   1. Musekinin Kanchou Tylor The Irresponsible Captain Tylor 無責任艦長タイラー [Tatsunoko Production] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi Adult Cast, Military, Parody, Space Justy Ueki Tylor is an average 20-year-old man: lazy, greedy, and a passionate womanizer. He plans to land an easy job with the United Planets Space Force that pays decently and is also far away from the rigorous combat raging throughout the galaxy. However, Tylor's dreams of living a simple life are brought to a sudden halt when he stumbles into a dangerous hostage situation. Through one strange mishap after another, Tylor miraculously manages to save the hostages and is awarded command of the decrepit space-cruiser Soyokaze! Now Tylor finds himself in charge of sending mad mercenaries, proud pilots, skeptical colleagues, and harsh commanders through the infinite expanse of the universe, all the while avoiding the looming threat of the Holy Raalgon Empire. What misadventures await the irresponsible Captain Tylor? I watched Irresponsible Captain Tylor before, but not sure if 1993 or 1995 version. What struck me back in early space genius tactics Space Battleship Yamato and Legend of Galactic Heroes was that they did not really boast of good tactics compared to modern examples and often relied on luck or just sucked up damage. Tylor brings that concept to the ultimate as it's a comedy that relies on pure luck with rare exceptions. Show has great funny characters and good pace with solid humor. I've praised enough to get into masterpiece range, time to focus on negatives to derive final score. It's not intellectual, so can't surpass 8. The setup with story and characters gets finalized by the 7th episode, and then there is a series of space SOL episodes. In the second half of the series tempo receives a blow and concentration starts to fade at times. Since the story was never serious, approaching the ending brings more and more nonsense, and that's just unsatisfying. Minor masterpiece score fits just right here.   Overall Rating: 7/10   2. Wakakusa Monogatari: Nan to Jo-sensei 若草物語ナンとジョー先生 [Nippon Animation] (Finished 4/40) Tags: Historical, School Drama, Slice of Life Nan Harding is the new student at Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer's school. Everyone thinks that she is a pain in the head, but not Mrs. Jo. Together with the other kids, they all embark on their personal adventures and misfortunes while learning in school. Finally Wakakusa Monogatari loses real connection with novel and lives its own life with a new protagonist as if from Ghibli works and one of old protagonists being just one of the teachers. Usual world masterpiece theater fans can rage all they want, but it's the best world masterpiece theater series at least for the sheer amount of comedy in it. Sadly, comedy takes only a part of the time, and mostly it's just SOL with small adventures and learning important lessons, blah-blah-blah. Something adults can hardly involve into.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Miracle☆Girls ミラクル☆ガールズ  [Japan Taps] (Finished 3/51) Tags: Shoujo Drama Mikage and Tomomi Matsunaga are Miracle Girls: they have a telepathic link with each other and can teleport when they link their little fingers. Tomomi is a sports star and has a boyfriend called Noda. Mikage is the smartest student in the school and is in love with her sempai. He moved to London to study but they still kept in touch, that is until a selfish princess called Marie decides that he should come with her back to Diammas. Back in Japan the twins are having various problems of their own. But they soon realise that there is a link between Marie, an ancient legend, and a girl they know called Emma. Telepathy... teleportation... jumping for 20 meters... I'm so prejudiced against espers that it starts as a  downer already. Shoujo immature romance focus does not add points as well. It's terribly chaotic and I can't call it even decent.    Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Yuusha Tokkyuu Might Gaine 勇者特急マイトガイン [Sunrise] (Finished 3/47) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Nouvelle Tokio City locates on the place where it used to be Tokyo Bay. At the first glance, the prosperous city seems to enjoy its freedom and peace, but the city is suffering from the crimes. Senpuuji Maito is a perfect 15-year-old boy, bright, handsome, smart, and all-around sportsman. Furthermore, he is the leader of Senpuuji Trading group, and a multimillionaire. He spends his private fortune to found "Brave Express Squad"? which consists of several robots. They are the robots that have various special abilities. Above all, the leader, Gaine, has a super artificial intelligence and has own personality. They can transform into trains. In case of incidents, they will appear anywhere in the world using the highly developed railway system. Another horrible Sunrise mecha. I welcome the fact that it's humor-focused so that there is a single reason that someone might watch it longer. A collection of beaten stamps besides that.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Aa! Megami-sama! ああっ女神さまっ  [AIC] (Finished 5/5) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Romance, Supernatural When college student Keiichi Morisato dials the wrong number while ordering for some food at his dormitory, he accidentally gets connected to the Goddess Hotline and a beautiful goddess named Belldandy appears out of a mirror in front of him. After getting kicked out of the dorm, Keiichi and Belldandy move to an old shrine and soon afterwards, Belldandy's sisters Urd and Skuld move in. Tenchi was the first harem, although it did not feel mature with normal protagonist and heroines that looked a bit childish. Megami-sama is an attempt to bring in harem with mature , yet fantasy-imbued females and slightly mischievous protagonist, as well as focus on actual romance rather than repelling space invaders. It's just six episodes, so as long as the whole cast gathers there's already anxiety about future parting and finale arc to start. So there's hardly anything to evaluate as the core itself between beginning and ending is missing.   Overall Rating: 6/10   6. Dragon Half ドラゴンハーフ [Production I.G] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Parody Comedy, Fantasy Mink is no ordinary teenage girl, being half-human and half-dragon. Her father had fallen in love with a red dragon he intended to kill, and instead of slaying the dragon, he married her. Their union gave birth to Mink, who inherited horns, a tail, retractable wings, and incredible strength—characteristics which signify her dragon half nature. Mink spends her days accompanied by her friend Pia, a dwarf girl with overprotective parents, and her best friend Lufa, an elf with great healing powers but impressively bad magic. The three find themselves mooning over the dreamy and charming dragonslayer, Dick Saucer. But in a sudden, absurd turn of events, Mink gets closer than ever to the object of her fantasies, only to realize that her love may never be reciprocated because of her dragon heritage. Thus, the trio sets out on a quest to find a potion that will make Mink fully human. They may unwittingly make enemies, but they are sure to have one heck of a good time. A comedy about cute half-dragon female and a group that sends dragon hunters after her... but she tries to get main dragon-hunter autograph all the time. It's fun enough, but too short to matter.   Overall Rating: 6/10   7. Moldiver モルダイバー [AIC] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Mecha Action, Romance, Sci-Fi Hiroshi Ozora invents the Mol Unit, a device that makes its user invincible. His plans of becoming a super hero are short lived however when his sister, Mirai, accidently modifies the suit configuration. Now she is forced to save Tokyo by herself from the evil Machinegal and his gang of all-female androids. What's there to like? Girl fighting mecha? Story? Action? Humor? Absolutely everything is average here, plus a fat doze of fanservice is mixed in for better digestion. It looks like Moldiver tried to play at the field of Gunbuster and humiliated itself miserably.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Kishin Heidan Kishin Corps 機神兵団 [AIC] (Finished 7/7) Tags: Historical, Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi October 1941, as the second World War threatens to destroy the civilized world, an unforeseen complication suddenly occurs. An alien invasion! Despite the sudden appearance of these extraterrestrial aggressors, the Axis and Allies continue their destructive conflict. Only the Kishin Corps and their giant Geo-Armor Robots (a.k.a.: Kishin), developed from a captured alien robot soldier, stand between the Earth and total annihilation! A teenager, named Taishi, suddenly finds himself at the center of a struggle over a mysterious black attaché case entrusted to him by his father, Professor Tokamura. The case contains the controlling mechanism for one of the giant Geo-Armor Robots, and the Japanese Kanto Army, the alien invaders, and the Kishin Corps all want to recover the device! Between the spies, the armies, the aliens, and the Giant Robots, Taishi is in for an epic adventure—if he can survive it! The plot just leaves me speechless, because it's hard to imagine a person who reads this synopsis and says yeah, I'd like to watch it. I don't like mecha or action, so there's nothing to like here at all. Don't watch this stupidity. It may be contagious. .   Overall Rating: 4/10   9. Kouryuu Densetsu Villgust 甲竜伝説ヴィルガスト [animate Film] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Villgust is a peaceful world that exists parallel to ours. However, now an evil deity has been revived and has sent evil creatures to destroy many countries, which left darkness and terror to rule the world. The peoples' prayers and cries has reached out to the goddess Windina and in order to free the world from darkness she chose eight brave warriors to defeat the evil deity. Although blessed, these warriors are unaware at the path chosen for them, thus the two groups of Kui, Chris, Fanna, and Youta must meet up with Murobo, Remi, Ryuquir, and Bostov before they can follow the path chosen for them and defeat the evil deity. Adventurer party is always great. Adventurer parties fighting each others make my blood boil. But compared to Lodoss this one is much shorter, comedy focused and even with chibi characters. Decent is all it can get.   Overall Rating: 6/10   10. Unkai no Meikyuu Zeguy 雲界の迷宮ZEGUY [KSS] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Mysterious warriors appear to blast Miki into another dimension! She flees her captors only to find herself trapped in a world of monsters and madmen who plot the downfall of Earth. The only power that can possible save her (and the world) is that of the mysterious Mask of Zeguy. Miki must embark on a life-or-death quest for this talisman, with the villains who kidnapped in hot pursuit! Warp in time is usually a bad idea. Gathering famous people from different era is usually a bad idea. Cramping it all into two episodes with very little explanation is definitely a bad idea.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Al Caral no Isan Legacy of Aru Kararu アル・カラルの遺産 [animate Film] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Space Sci-Fi In the 26th century, humans discover a humanoid race living on the distant world GO/7498/2, a dark-skinned, golden-eyed people who seem to eke out a primitive, carefree existence. However, a scout team from Earth discovers that there is more to them than meets the eye--they live in symbiosis with vicious reptilian parasites, and the Terran scientists have upset the delicate natural balance. Another work that aims to appeal to space exploration fans. Very uninspiring development and anticlimactic ending.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Magma Taishi Ambassador Magma マグマ大使 [Tezuka Productions] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Shounen Space, Super Power Action, Sci-Fi The alien invader Goa plots to conquer the Earth. He first warns the Murakami family (father Atsushi, mother Tomoko, and son Mamoru) of their invasion, and demonstrates his powers by transporting them to a prehistoric jungle and destroying a Giant Dinosaur before their very eyes. But they will not agree to surrender to Goa, so hope comes in the form of Magma, an armored, golden giant with long hair and antennae. He and his human-sized wife Mol, both created by the wizard Earth are sent to defend our world against Goa. They befriend Atsushi and Mamoru, the latter has Magma emotionally touched, as he wanted to have a child with his wife Mol, so Earth creates a duplicate of Mamoru, named Gam Earth gives Mamoru a whistle, with which he can call Gam Mol and Magma in times of crisis. So when Goa unleashes his various daikaiju, chances are, Magma, Mol, and Gam will fly to the rescue. Tezuka Productions is reviving a very ancient franchise, and it's worrying since those old franchises are usually too simple for 1990s already. It's not something I'd usually watch, but I'm interested in studio evolution. It did pretty well with Oniisama e... , but this time story is much more comples with multiple protagonists - Mamoru, his clone Namu and superpower wielding Magma. They rarely are in one place, so there are constant shifts between different stages, and that irritates a lot, especially if we're getting distracted for nothing like Magma fighting just one more giant octopus or something. There's not enough verbal explanation, and there are often unexplained actions happening and new actors encountered. Another pain is Mamoru himself, as he always shouts hysterically. Setting gets finalized only by the end of 6th episodes, and, needless to say, few would wait up to this point. The giant and dinosaur happen only in 11th episodes with 13 episodes total. It's all very confusing. As I see it, Tezuka Productions took this manga up for staging because it was moderately interesting, old and because it had some environmentalism with Mother Earth as one of the characters. What I like in this work is visuals, animation techniques occasionally used, one continuous story where each episode is totally different, character and monster designs. What I don't like is pretty much everything else - story, huge number of characters, confusion, hysterical protagonist, magma himself as invulnerable pseudo-mecha, many remnants of the ancient 60s works.   Overall Rating: 5/10   13. Anata ga Furikaeru Toki あなたが振り返るとき  [Grouper Productions] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo School Romance Three shorts based on stories by Hanai Aiko, who also directed this OVA. Not translated. Omnibus with 30 minutes length means it's 10 minutes per school romance story. But it's not the worst thing here. Basically, it's colored still images and camera just moves left-right, corner-corner, zoom in-out. There are rare exceptions, but it can't be called anime, just a shame.   Overall Rating: 4/10   14. Offside オフサイド  [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Drama, Sports Main character Goro Kumagai leads a small soccer high school club to success. Not translated. Length is just 50 mins, so there is only some match, sudden drama of love interest girl, then credits for the first half, and second half begins with all drama forgotten, another match ensues. What nonsense.   Overall Rating: 4/10   15. Ganbare Goemon: Jigen Jou no Akumu がんばれゴエモン 次元城の悪夢 [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Comedy It was originally released in 1991 as part of a campaign to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Ganbare Goemon series, being distributed as a lottery prize for purchasers of the Super Famicom game Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyūshutsu Emaki (known outside of Japan as The Legend of the Mystical Ninja). It was later distributed as a user gift tie-in for purchasers of Ganbare Goemon 3: Shishijūrokubē no Karakuri Manji Gatame. The OVA features segments parodying three other popular Konami franchises: Gradius, Akumajō Dracula and TwinBee. Since it's just a fan story for NES game with multiple crossovers, it's 25 minutes of pure chaos. To get something from the story should wait for the series released in 1997.   Overall Rating: 4/10   16. Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama ラーマーヤナ ラーマ王子伝説 [Nippon Ramayana Film Co.] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure  Rama, the eldest prince of the Kingdom of Ayodhya, is beloved by all and the natural successor to his father's throne. However, when one of his father's wives conspires to get her son on the throne instead, Rama ends up being banished into the woods for 14 years. Accompanied by his wife, Sita, and his brother, Lakshman—Rama tries to make the most of life in exile despite his challenges. The trio's life in the forest is interrupted, however, when Demon King Ravan sets his sights on Sita. Using a crafty plan, he manages to distract Rama and steal Sita away to his castle. Heartbroken and distraught, Rama searches every corner of the world for his wife, unaware of the lengths he will have to go to rescue her. No offence intended, but story is a nonsense bore from a dated source. It was made with only Indian watchers in mind. The only way anyone would want to watch it is being Indian/needing to write report on Ramayana/being forced to watch it on TV.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Sangokushi: Dai Ni Bu - Choukou Moyu! Great Conquest: Romance of Three Kingdoms 三国志 第二部 長江燃ゆ! [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Action An anime based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel. Continuation of Sangokushi: Dai Ichi Bu - Eiyuu-tachi no Yoake that I absolutely hated as humiliation to original movies and series. This sequel again beats around the bush and kinda ends with naval battle. Why? Why ruin absolutely perfect franchise with absolutely horrible remake?.   Overall Rating: 3/10
  23. kivandopulus

    VN of the Month September 2022 - BLACK SHEEP TOWN

    By kivandopulus,


    VN of the Month 2022
    For the time being, I prefer stories without romance at all, and BLACK SHEEP TOWN is a safe bet for me, as for others, time will show   1. BLACK SHEEP TOWN [220915] BA-KU  The setting of this work is "District Y". It is a cosmopolitan downtown area where immigrants from all over the world live, and it is full of energy of visitors who enjoy its unique atmosphere, but the other side of the city is a dangerous area where gangs rule and the police have no power.　 A decent Renya Setoguchi sound novel story in the setting resembling old Hong Kong. Gangs attack each other, serial maniac with transformation ability terrorizes community, and protagonist alongside officials gets involved in the center of conflict. Story zaps from one party to another.   2. 2045, Tsuki Yori. ２０４５、月より。 [220930] MELLOW ——Will humans still have “hearts” in 2045? 2045. Androids help people and undergo experiments to get more and more human-like. A boy who hates androids, Ieiri Sou, in a local city meets a woman who is a cutting-edge android born on the moon. Longing for the human world, she escaped from the research institute and disguised herself as a human to run a coffee shop. A boy who has met a strange person gradually learns about the strangeness of the city. A student net idol, a nun Sister with superhuman physical abilities and a hidden face, two detectives from organization Public Safety Section Zero, gang leader with overwhelming charisma - they all get involved with human boy and android girl. First two works of MELLOW were rather weird and of low price segment, this one is first full price. Nice cheerful setting, and the whole runaway android problem gets solved easily and early, so it's less about the story and more about the chosen girl. It all depends on implementation.    3. Hana wa Mijikashi, Odoreyo Otome  華は短し、踊れよ乙女 [220930] ensemble  It was about 100 years ago, in the 10th year of the Taishou era. In the midst of a glorious and turbulent time. The protagonist, Yamashina Rin, a kabuki actor who mostly playing onnagata roles, suffered a major setback in one of his performances. However, he found hope in the words of a blond girl he met by chance. In order to improve himself and return to the stage one day, he decided to transfer to an all-girls school oversees by a principal who is an admirer of his, and changed his name to "Fujinami Rin". What awaited him at the school was his first exposure to the glamorous world. The students are the daughters of the prestigious families and foreign students from the West. Arranged by the school's principal, Rin was accepted as a member of the "Eikakai", a group of five maidens who represent the students. In addition, he was assigned to live under the same roof with the Eikakai's girls. There, he also found Chris, the blonde girl who saved him. An election to decide the top maiden, "Nadeshiko no Kimi", will soon be held. Eventually, the purpose of the Eikakai was revealed to Rin, who knew nothing of the situation. The school is currently in the midst of a conflict between the Japanese and the foreigners. In order to solve it, an election will soon be held to decide the top maiden, "Nadeshiko no Kimi". The candidates in the election are the five members of the Eikakai, including Rin. While Chris is the lead candidate for the Western side, Rin has been nominated by the principal as the lead candidate for the Japanese side. Although he was caught up in the principal's scheme, Rin gladly accepted it, as he saw this as an opportunity to improve himself. Thus, with the future of the school and all the girls who attend at stake; The dazzling days of the maidens begin. Trap protagonist story is the last thing I would check out, so let's wait for first impressions   4. Homemaid Sweet Pea  ホームメイドスイートピー [220930] Silky's Connect ["Homemade" family made by a maid] "It may have been temporary at first, but it can be a real family." Verbena Manor is an unusual share house run by a maid. There, the residents of Verbena Manor, including the main character, do not know the feeling of a happy family that everyone normally has. This work is a story about them "living as a true family even though they were born differently and have different relations." New Silky's subsidiary, so it may be anything in the range from moege to Nanairo Reincarnation, although trial has worrying signs as starts too conveniently     5. Houkago Cinderella 2 放課後シンデレラ２ [220930] HOOKSOFT Spring. The protagonist, Kuzumi Arata, has moved to a new town because of his mother's job transfer. Up to this point, he always has regrets about his student life. "What have I been doing with my youth?" He had a part-time job that warmed his pockets. Still, he felt left out, surrounded by people who do their best in club activities and enjoy their love lives. Because of this, he decided to say farewell to his old student life and have a fresh start. Fortunately, he was blessed with new encounters in his new student life. A good male friend. Friendly classmates. An attractive, quiet, and cool classmate. A cheeky kouhai who gets tangled up with him. An enigmatic beauty he met on the train. However, he still has trouble with how he should spend his student life. Inspired by the words of Oze Hazuki, the daughter of the landlord who lives next door, he decided to enjoy his time at his new school leisurely. Then he realizes his inner desire and makes a decision. "I want to have an ideal student life where I can go home after school with my girlfriend!" As Hooksoft game and moreover a sequel, no one should have any illusions left by now   6. Role player: Tororo Shimai no Nenmaku Portrait - Gurigucha LIVE! Role player：とろろ姉妹の粘膜ポトレ　ぐりぐちゃLIVE！ [220930] AKABEiSOFT2 One day, I lost something precious. I went to several cosplay events, and took some pictures to satisfy my lust. However, the camera that contained all the pictures was destroyed in an unfortunate accident. Perhaps they didn't want to see my cry anymore, the Yamakake sisters, Sana and Yua, who were involved in the accident, said to me; "Would you like us to cosplay for you instead?" I accepted their offer. Their bodies look lewder than anything that I have ever seen in any erotic manga, and they were willing to be my very own cosplayers!! I put the skills I learned as a fashion student and my hobby of making costumes for dolls to good use, creating costumes for the sisters, and as luck would have it, I was given tickets to the cosplay resort "Costaria", located on a remote island. This was an opportunity for me to get the best portraits in Costaria. However, what awaited me on that island was so much more than I could imagine! "Let's have a different kind of cosplay today." "Erotic role-playing. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" The sisters whispered those words to me. With my very own cosplayers, I'm going to make extreme and intimate portraits that cannot be shown to anyone. I wonder if it's okay to make them── AKABEiSOFT2 continues to issue otaku nukige which often have better humor and buildup than normal charage     7. Tonari ni Kanojo no Iru Shiawase ~I Fight with Summer となりに彼女のいる幸せ～i fight with summer～ [220930] Prekano "Then a camp! Let's have a training camp in the summer, instead of a reward!" The final exam is over and the summer vacation is about to begin. The club is on the verge of disbanding, but a new member and kouhai, Serizawa Chisa, requested me to hold a training camp at the sea. With the club's small budget, we managed to plan a one-day camp in the club room and at the sea. However, there is no way that a camp with a self-indulgent and mischievous girl like her is going to end without a hitch...... The sea, swimsuit, battles!? In the end, what is my relationship with this girl next to me!? A different summer from "that time" (if) is coming! Not fan of single heroine romance low price stories, but since they're issued at consoles, can't ignore them either   8. Tsui no Stella 終のステラ [220930] Key If I make it to the other side of the sky, I can become human... Earth has been taken over by a group of machines that created a "singularity." Humanity is forced to live hidden in the shadows. One day a transporter receives an odd request. Their cargo this time will be a girl android developed as a family member substitute. She is unaffected by the Singularity Machines. Despite being put off by the girl's naive behavior, the transporter sets out on the journey. Sometimes it's human bandits they must evade, other times it's the machines they run from. Undeterred by such dangerous situations, they press on to make the delivery. The girl often talks about wanting to become human. Their destination is a space elevator, so tall it appears to pierce the sky. The rumor is that androids who make it to the top can be made human, but is it true? I feel like Key is lost in self-repeats of not so good but sold well and low effort planetarian ~Chiisana Hoshi no Yume~ in a constant chase for a fast buck. I'd be happy if I'm proved otherwise 
  24. kivandopulus

    Anime of the Year 1992-IV Fall - Mikan Enikki

    By kivandopulus,


    Anime of the Year
    Mikan Enikki and Chibi Maruko-chan: Watashi no Suki na Uta are the only masterpieces that I noted with priority to original work over sequel .   1. Yuu☆Yuu☆Hakusho Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files 幽☆遊☆白書 [Pierrot] (Finished 6/112) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, Mythology Action, Comedy, Supernatural One fateful day, Yuusuke Urameshi, a 14-year-old delinquent with a dim future, gets a miraculous chance to turn it all around when he throws himself in front of a moving car to save a young boy. His ultimate sacrifice is so out of character that the authorities of the spirit realm are not yet prepared to let him pass on. Koenma, heir to the throne of the spirit realm, offers Yuusuke an opportunity to regain his life through completion of a series of tasks. With the guidance of the death god Botan, he is to thwart evil presences on Earth as a Spirit Detective. To help him on his venture, Yuusuke enlists ex-rival Kazuma Kuwabara, and two demons, Hiei and Kurama, who have criminal pasts. Together, they train and battle against enemies who would threaten humanity's very existence. A surprisingly good fighting shounen. It starts as a ghost impersonation story with delinquents - logical, good pace and attractive characters. The problem with this anime is that it manages to keep interested, but actually offers very little. There's no interesting story, there's no good humor. I explain its relatively high scores because it seems to be the first classical ongoing shounen like Bleach or Naruto or Hunter x Hunter, and - long things short - I seriously hate those. The result we get is just finding enemies with relatively nice characters and then fighting them. What's to like here is beyond my understanding .   Overall Rating: 6/10   2. Hime-chan no Ribbon 姫ちゃんのリボン [Gallop] (Finished 4/61) Tags: Shoujo School Comedy, Fantasy, Romance Erika, the princess of the Magic Kingdom has come to Earth in order to find a human girl who looks just like her. That girl turns out to be Himeko Nonohara, a tomboy's tomboy. Erika must give Himeko a magical item she has created in order to prove her worth as a successor to the crown. Himeko must test this item, a hair ribbon that allows her to transform into any other person she sees, to see if it is worthy. The series follows Himeko's adventures and her budding romance with Daichi, the boy who discovers her secret. All the shoujo/jousei that I think highly of have older heroines, at least high school for the proper complexity (yet just high school without complexity does not guarantee the outcome). So it should be just taken for granted that I'm not compatible with shoujo heroines from middle school or younger. This is the latter case with above average characters and humor, but still it's just the higher scale of my indifference. Mint and Sailor moon have set a trend for magical girls to have some pets, so there is one here as well. I also liked focus on school, gives a lot more substance than other magical girls settings.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Kaze no Naka no Shoujo: Kinpatsu no Jeanie 風の中の少女 金髪のジェニー [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/52) Tags: Historical Drama The story begins in a small town, Pennsylvania in 1838. Jeanie MacDowell is a cheerful and beautiful girl with light brown hair. Jeanie enjoys playing the piano and loves taking piano lessons from her mother. Steven, a good harmonica player, and Bill, a black boy who is very good at playing the banjo, are great friends of Jeanie's. They enjoy playing music together like a small band. However, Jeanie's happy life changes dramatically after her mother suddenly passes away. Experiencing many difficulties and learning the importance of life, she decides to devote her life to helping many people suffering from illness. This series is a highly emotional love story about the relationship between young Stephen Foster, who later becomes a famous composer and author of children's songs, and young Jeanie MacDowell, who becomes Stephen Foster's wife. It's not world masterpiece series. But it totally feels like one as setting is 19th century USA. A loot of 19th Century USA works look similar as it's always mostly about racial disparity and SOL of some well-off family. Feels like a total bore to me if you aren't prepared for this kind of show beforehand and don't look for such initially.   Overall Rating: 5/10   4. Mikan Enikki みかん絵日記 [Nippon Animation] (Finished 30/30) Tags: Shoujo Pets Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life A kitten, abandoned and left for dead along with his siblings, is taken in by Tomu Kusanagi, who nurtures him and discovers that the tangerine cat he so adores is actually a genius who can talk, walk, read, and has even acquired a taste for liquor! It's cheating to use Maruko-chan voice in other anime! Also same two stories per episode structure is used. Loving the voice even though it fits here less as cat talks a lot of serious and difficult stuff without showing emotions much. Cat talks and everyone in the family knows that , so cat actually substitutes role of imouto and thus is similar to that of Maruko-chan. Most stories are rather lyrical than humorous, so overall anime feels like lyrical Maruko-chan movie and deserves the same minor masterpiece score.   Overall Rating: 7/10   5. Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai ツヨシしっかりしなさい [Studio Comet] (Finished 5/112) Tags: Shounen School Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life Tsuyoshi Ikawa lives at home with his popular and beautiful sisters. Despite their qualities, his sisters and his mother are horrible at household chores, including cooking, so all these duties are taken over by Tsuyoshi while his father is away due to being temporarily transferred to another city for work. There are only nine episodes subbed. Basically, it's a culinary show as it always starts with buying some product and the story whirls around this product. It does not impress, to say the least.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Shin Calimero Calimero (1992) 新 カリメロ [Toei Animation] (Finished 0/52) Tags: Comedy  The series tells about many adventures of the small fledgling Calimero and his friends, who uncover many secrets, sometimes getting into trouble along the way. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   7. Flanders no Inu, Boku no Patrasche A Dog of Flanders: My Patrasche フランダースの犬　～ぼくのパトラッシュ～ [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Historical, Pets Drama A boy named Nello becomes an orphan at the age of two when his mother dies. His grandfather, who lives in a small village takes him in. One day, Nello finds a dog who was almost beaten to death and named him Patrasche. Due to the good care of his grandfather, the dog recovers, and from then on, Nello and Patrasche are inseparable. Since they are very poor, Nello has to help his grandfather by selling milk. Patrasche helps him pull the milk cart that Nello uses to sell milk in the town. I wish they shot a movie instead... the beginning is slow, so it's pretty much the same piece of story that I watched in original from 1975. Visuals and designs are almost the same, so I don't see much sense in another series, just twice shorter. It felt childish back then, and now also sees dated in 1992.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Oyayubi Hime Monogatari Thumbelina: A Magical Story おやゆび姫物語 [Enoki Films] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Shoujo Adventure, Fantasy A bratty girl named Mia is given a book, Thumbelina, which upon reading she is shrunk and transported into the world of the book. She embarks on a journey to return home, and to normal size making friends and learning lessons on the way, but that's only the beginning of her adventures. Just one episode is translated, plus there is some dubbed movie that's compiled totally for kids. Episode is just a bit less childish, but after some great examples of proper kids works like Blue Blink I just can't treat others seriously.   Overall Rating: 5/10   9. Boukensha: The Man Was from Spain Christopher Columbus 冒険者－THE MAN WAS FROM SPAIN－ [Nippon Animation] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Historical Adventure Christopher Columbus is a man of strong will. His life is full of drama. Born in Genoa, he realizes his dream of becoming a sailor, dares to search for a new route, and finally reaches his goal, discovering a new land in the process. Sometimes in desperation, sometimes in excitement, his experiences are truly extraordinary. It has very little to do with the real story, and even as fantasy for children it's mediocre, so not recommended.   Overall Rating: 4/10   10. Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun 南国少年パプワくん [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/42) Tags: Shounen Adventure, Comedy Papuwa-kun is a young boy living a quiet life with his dog, Chappy, on a small island located somewhere in South Pacific, when Shintaro, who is being pursued by gangsters, invades their happy existence. Chappi takes Shintaro's precious Jewel, thereby making the two main characters lifelong rivals. Together they experience a series of bizarre adventures and situations. Not translated. Overall feels like Dragon Ball, but with more absurd humor.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Super Zugan スーパーヅガン [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/21) Tags: Shounen Strategy Game Comedy A story about mahjong. Why I'm even watching this if I understand nothing in mahjong... Unlike Mahjong Hishouden: Naki no Ryuu there's nothing but mahjong here, so exactly zero value for unaware people like me.   Overall Rating: 4/10   12. Space Oz no Bouken The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz スペース・オズの冒険 [E&G Films] (Finished 0/26) Tags: Adventure, Sci-Fi In the year 2060, eight year old Dorothy and her dog are mysteriously swept off their planet into the wonderful, magical Galaxy of Oz. An evil witch, Gloomhilda, once ruled the Galaxy through fear and terror but was driven out by the good Dr. Oz. Now, Gloomhilda has amassed an army on the outskirts of the Galaxy and is preparing to win back her empire.Her sneak attack fails due to Dorothy's unexpected arrival. However, Dr. Oz knows Gloomhilda will return. He has a plan which will free the Galaxy of the wickedness of Gloomhilda forever. Legend tells of three magical crystals, the Crystal of Love, the Crystal of Wisdom, and the Crystal of Courage. These crystals were spread throughout the Galaxy and lost hundreds of years ago. According to the legend, whoever possesses all three crystals will rule the Galaxy of Oz for all Eternity. Under the guidance of Dr. Oz, Dorothy and an assortment of "heroes" set out to scour the Galaxy in search of the three magical crystals. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   13. Shounen Ashibe 2  少年アシベ２ [Life Work] (Finished 3/25) Tags: Comedy Sequel to Shounen Ashibe Not translated. Since prequel is not found, let's sample at least this sequel before modern remakes. Each episode contains three stories just as Crayon Shin-Chan. So can we expect same density of humor? Absolutely not. The seal does not talk and behaves as a pet with basic childish emotions. There's hardly any humor at all, just some SOL stories around this seal.   Overall Rating: 5/10   14. Tokyo Babylon 東京ＢＡＢＹＬＯＮ [Madhouse] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Action, Mystery, Supernatural  Subaru Sumeragi is the 13th head of the Sumeragi Clan and a most powerful onmyouji. Subaru is hired to exorcise a construction site, but his employer mysteriously died. The only suspect is a man who repeatedly walks away from situations in which he should have died. Then Subaru meets a young woman intent upon cursing the man, saying that he killed her brother. Subaru must figure out how his employer died and fight the evil spirits that are protecting the man with the help of his friend and twin sister, Seishirou Sakurazuka and Hokuto Sumeragi. I'd actually call it a horror as there are corpses and violence everywhere. Seeing torn out limbs and attacks with blood flows from the spots of former limbs makes me sick, personally. I'm allergic to visually disgusting effects like that. It's not even a detective story as there are just crimes till spontaneously killer does not show up in the open. Why would someone want to watch it is beyond my understanding.   Overall Rating: 4/10   15. Bannou Bunka Neko-Musume All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku 万能文化猫娘 [Studio Fantasia, animate Film] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Seinen Mecha Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi Ryuunosuke Natsume is the son of genius inventor Kyusaku Natsume and overbearing Akiko Natsume, CEO of Mishima Heavy Industries. Using funds from his wife's company and the brain from his son's beloved cat, Kyusaku creates a revolutionary android called Atsuko "Nuku Nuku" Natsume. To Kyusaku's disgust, Akiko wants to use her husband's technology to create weaponized robots for her company's customers, resulting in Ryuunosuke getting caught within the explosive fights between his parents The android Nuku Nuku tries to live as a normal high school student, adopting the role of Ryuunosuke's elder sister, but usually ends up acting as her family's protector. Nuku Nuku will do anything to protect the ones she loves. When facing a new anime I often try to find the similar anime that I've seen before and then compare which one I liked more. Could not find a really close one, but goofy energy reminds A-Ko to me. It's same painful to watch for me, because there's no coherent plot. Just something crazy happens and android girl deals with it in a half-assed way with the rest of the time being taken by something else. Without real plot or super good humor I can't rate it better than A-Ko, thus average.   Overall Rating: 5/10   16. Green Legend Ran グリーンレジェンド乱 [AIC] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi  A story of future Earth - A warning for mankind: In the future, our planet will be transformed into a strange new world where human life struggles on an Earth without rain or oceans - only vast, parched deserts. Two youths fight for survival on our hostile planet and find hope. The sea, the sky and the land had been completely polluted by mankind when mysterious objects fall from the heavens. These titanic vessels smash into the planet and suck up the air, water, and most living creatures into their womb, stealing away the very essence of Earth`s nature. The few remaining inhabitants struggle for survival against a hostile environment and an oppressive ruling race known as the Rodo. One young, hot-blooded human named Ran, fights against the Rodo and a world in which rain is only a legend. He strives to join an Anti-Rodo group known as the Hazzard, not only to defeat the Rodo, but also to hunt down the man who killed his mother. A poorly executed story, and it manages to get even worse by the end. Dialogue "-This person killed my mother! -But your mother would be sad if you killed him in return" should be added to the golden collection of most stupid phrases in anime.   Overall Rating: 4/10   17. Ys: Tenkuu no Shinden - Adol Christine no Bouken Ys II: Castle in the Heavens Ys (イース) 天空の神殿 アドル=クリスティンの冒険 [Tokyo Kids] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Mythology Adventure, Drama, Fantasy Now that Adol Christen has saved the land of Esteria from the evil priest Dark Fact, Adol and the two priestesses travel to the floating land of Ys, where evil has an even greater influence on the people and no one has hope. The future of Ys falls to Adol, heir to the powers of the priests and the only one who can show the people of Ys the truth about their world. But, as Adol's power grows, he may be the one who will save Ys—or destroy it. After so many games I can't take Ys story seriously, it's just a shell for different kind of action and meeting many bosses. Of course hero will save someone from something, who cares.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Jigen Sengokushi: Kuro no Shishi - Jinnai-hen Black Lion 時元戦国史 黒の獅士 陣内篇 [Tokyo Kids, Minami Machi Bugyousho] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Historical Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi The year is 1580. Using an army of soldiers equipped with sophisticated weaponry, Nobunaga Oda is on the verge of ruling Japan with an iron fist. One of his enforcers is Ginnai Doma - a fallen samurai reborn into an indestructible killing machine. As Ginnai continues his killing spree on ninjas and those who oppose Nobunaga's rule, Shishimaru of the Iga Ninja - going against the Koga Ninja's plans - pursues a one-man vendetta to avenge the deaths of his comrades and kill the immortal warrior. Another imitation of terminator , this time vs ninja. Just action, nothing more.   Overall Rating: 4/10   19. Down Load: Namu Amida Butsu wa Ai no Uta Download: Devil's Circuit DOWN LOAD 南無阿弥陀仏は愛の詩 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Psychological Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi An exciting cyberpunk romp directed by Rintaro with veteran animator Kanada Yoshinori about a genius hacker and a gang of hot-rodders. Some technology, girl and lots of bike pursuits. It's of average quality and absolutely not memorable.   Overall Rating: 5/10   20. Future GPX Cyber Formula 11 新世紀ＧＰＸサイバーフォーミュラ１１ [Sunrise] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Shounen Racing Drama, Sci-Fi  It is now time for the 11th Cyber Formula World Grand Prix. With all the expectations and pressures placed upon him, Hayato Kazami struggles to regain the championship form that he had a year ago. Moreover, Osamu Sugo, aka Knight Schumacher, has reentered the competition, and declared Hayato to be an enemy. Hayato, with the new Super Asurada AKF-11, must now defeat someone he once deeply trusted in order to secure his second championship. For those who liked original, surely! Not for me then. Kinda expected to see mature winners already after the end of the series, but of course we go looser to winner route again.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Gensou Jotan Ellcia Ellcia 幻想叙譚エルシア [J.C.Staff] (Finished 4/4) Tags: Adventure, Fantasy  The Sacred Book of the land of Eija has been rediscovered and with it the legends of a mysterious and all powerful ship. Now Princess Crystal of Megaronia has set forth on a quest to recover the ship and its ultimate weaponry. All that stands between her and total domination of the world is a small group of piratical misfits. Swords, sorcery and technology blend to form a mesmerizing tale of Good vs. Evil in Ellcia. I'm so in love with this anime style, building, items and visuals. And I absolutely HATE all character designs, why every single character is soo ugly, dammit. I can hardly concentrate on the story constantly trying to find someone with at least neutral outlook that would not disgust right away. Found only side-heroine Sara who is far from beauty, but at least does not strike the eye like mad, also bearded guys have so big beards that they don't need to look fabulous. Phew, with that settled, what's with the story. It's mostly about travelling on ships with princes and princesses. Ships are both naval and occasionally flying ones. All the real action is packed in just the last episode. That said, can't call it even a decent one.   Overall Rating: 5/10   22. New Dream Hunter Rem: Setsuriku no Mudenmekyu NEW DREAM HUNTER 麗夢 殺戮の夢幻迷宮 [Studio Zain] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Ecchi Rem is an ordinary woman in our world but, in the world of dreams, she becomes a dream warrior, defending humanity from the evils there. When dream demons reach the waking world, she fights them with the help of her pets which transform into a tiger and wolf. Oh, come on, torn clothes is distinguishing feature of the series, but it again was not present. Was nice to know Frankenstein anime incorporated here partially, but overall the usual expected pattern.   Overall Rating: 5/10   23. Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu: Ouji no Tabidachi ドラゴンスレイヤー英雄伝説 王子の旅立ち [Nihon Falcom] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Action, Fantasy  Faaren is a peaceful and happy realm, ruled by a wise King... until the Demon Lord Ackdam overruns the kingdom with his black legions and terrifying dragon, killing the King and capturing the Queen. But the King's young son, Sirius, is swept away to safety and grows to be a powerful young warrior, tutored in the ways of swordsmanship and chivalry by his father's loyal minion, Rias. A surprisingly decent oldschool fantasy (if subbed version is watched). Almost every scene with Sonya had good type of humor in it. But it's just 40 minutes, so can't really aim higher.   Overall Rating: 6/10   24. Neko Hiki no Oruorane ねこひきのオルオラネ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Music Fantasy  During the holiday season, a young man encounters a drunken cat belonging to an old man in an alley. The old man has trained his three cats to sing. Whaa? 30 minutes on cats learning to sing? Whaa?.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. Scramble Wars: Tsuppashire! Genom Trophy Rally スクランブル・ウォーズ　突っ走る！ゲノムトロフィーラリー [Artmic] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Parody, Racing Comedy Take the characters from a number of sci-fi based animes, a stage not unlike "Wacky Races," super deformed madness, and general insanity and what you get is Scramble Wars. While Scramble Wars does include characters from the original Bubblegum Crisis, Gall Force and Genesis Survivor Gaiarth, it also has a few other characters from other animes such as AD Police and Riding Bean. It doesn't matter if you loved or hated any of these series, as long as you've seen at least one of them you'll have a great time watching this, though the insanity is so generic that it really doesn't matter if you haven't seen any of the animes featured in Scramble Wars. Wacky Races! No not really, but close enough. Genom is holding a race; the winner will receive the Genom Trophy! Woohoo! Yay! Enter, Priss on her Motoroid, Linna and Nene, Sylia and Mackie, a Boomer... A Boomer?... okay... and characters from other animes already mentioned a million times. All will be racing against each other to win this prestigious trophy for some reason. And all of them will do anything to win it... Very weird chibi crossover about racing. It's just 25 minutes and only bright spot is humor that's hit and miss.   Overall Rating: 5/10   26. Wolf Guy ウルフガイ [J.C.Staff] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Military Action, Sci-Fi Akira lnugami is infected with a terrible poison. The only known antidote has an unfortunate side effect-it turns him into a werewolf. He opts for survival but then has to cope with his new desires and with the attention of the military, which is interested in using his affliction for its own purposes. Manga original comes from the far 1970, and that old source usually causes many problems. In this particular case it's bland characters, filler scenes and sexist approach. Basically, protagonist tries to defend other werewolves and wolves and is usually has some group hunting for all those. And he tends to lose his companion girls all the time, so it resembles trashy H-filled (this one is Ecchi too) series of the past, namely Wounded Man and Crying Freeman.   Overall Rating: 4/10   27. Eien no Filena 永遠のフィレーナ [Pierrot] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy The story is centered around Filena, a princess who was raised as a boy after her kingdom was conquered My main grudge is that development is very slow. Filena is forced to participate in gladiator fights (even though there is high tech weapons) or something very similar, and she gets relatively good at fighting with tutor's help. Eventually her conflict with occupant forces arises and she manages to flee. That with a bit of side-tracking takes all first five episodes with only last episode left to put some kind of finale which with this pace can't be anything big. Overall, not bad, but boring and nothing memorable.   Overall Rating: 5/10   28. D-1 Devastator D-1 デバステイター [Takara] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Mecha Sci-Fi To follow in his missing friend Masato's footsteps, Ryo joined the vehicle company Yaesu. Ryo became involved with the Makuhari test course that Masato was also a part of. The leader, Gray Gear, told Ryo, "If you want to know about Masato, come to the test course late at night and ride the new machine." When Ryo got in the new machine, the Vector Versus, and rode it around the course, he was able to exceed 300 kilometers per hour and suddenly warped into a mysterious space! Only first episode is translated. It's mostly about flying mecha fighting, but there are just no good elements that I'd want to praise. I'll try - I like character designs and buildings are nice. What irritates the most is eternal zoom on each character with next to zero perspective, so it feels like battle of giant heads with occasional insertion of action shots. Horrible execution does not leave this anime a chance.   Overall Rating: 4/10   29. Hayou no Tsurugi: Shikkoku no Mashou 破妖の剣 漆黒の魔性 [Magic Bus] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shoujo Fantasy, Supernatural A resident of the Floating Castle that battle demon beings, the girl Rasutel (Rasu), chosen by the willful lady, the Demon-Breaker sword, is sent on a quest to save a princess kidnapped by a Youki. Her quest is helped by a mysterious Youki called Anshu (but he has basic color that usual Youkis do not have.... hehe!). She is also hampered in her quest by her demon-being oriented younger brother who seeks her golden eyes, the heritage of their father, the Golden Youshu. Another weird anime. Demon girl decides to become human and faces other demons with an anti-demon sword with own consciousness. She has a demon guardian and among enemies are her close relatives. Everyone but heroine is a bishounen. There's just couple absolutely minor beasts and the main confrontation even that is prolonged by flashbacks. It's nice to see a serious fighting shoujo heroine, but it's too short and unmemorable.   Overall Rating: 5/10   30. Shin Choubakumatsu Shounen Seiki Takamaru 新・超幕末少年世紀タカマル [J.C.Staff] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Action, Comedy, Fantasy - Not translated. Absurd funny continuation of the original series. It's a decent original Dragon Ball rival, so translation would be most welcome as without it half of gags remain unclear.   Overall Rating: 6/10   31. Nanbo no Monjai! Yankee Gurentai なんぼのもんじゃい! ヤンキー愚連隊 [KSS] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Comedy A youthful motorcycle gang in Osaka has their fair share of turf wars, lewd women, and full throttles as they go about their "too school for school" attitude with misconceptions and gags galore! Not translated. Just a usual yakuza/biker ecchi that we saw like five times already, but these anime usually remain untranslated. There is more humor (but mostly cartoonish and vulgar) than violence here, but it's absolutely bland with even no memorable characters at all. Needless to say, I'll be skipping its sequels.   Overall Rating: 4/10   32. Columbus no Daibouken コロンブスの大冒険 [SPO Entertainment] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Adventure, Drama As he nears the New World, Christopher Columbus tells cabin boy Paco about his youthful hardships, the difficulties of convincing others of his vision, and the final victory when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella agreed to sponsor his trip. The sailors are doubtful, though Columbus is vindicated when they arrive on land, but it's not as the planned destination of Japan. The series Christopher Columbus THE MAN WAS FROM SPAIN started just this very season, and here is an OVA already... I did not understand the meaning of fantasy about real people and real events in the series, it has not changed since then. Needless fantasy for kids.   Overall Rating: 4/10   33. Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu Gaiden: Ougon no Tsubasa Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Golden Wings 銀河英雄伝説外伝　黄金の翼 [Magic Bus] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adult Cast, Military, Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi The Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance have been locked in a seemingly endless war for more than a century and a half. In the Empire, a young Siegfried Kircheis meets Reinhard von Müsel and his older sister Annerose. Kircheis enjoys a happy friendship with the two beautiful blonde-haired siblings until the day that their alcoholic father, a lesser nobleman with low standing, accepts a request for Annerose to be sold as a concubine to the Kaiser. Although enraged, Reinhard is powerless to stop the whims of the Imperial Court. He and his father soon move away, leaving Kircheis behind. A few years later, Reinhard returns in a military uniform and declares his intent to rise through the ranks and free his sister from sexual servitude. Kircheis joins Reinhard on this daring journey to save Annerose, yearning to forever stay by the side of his friends. I usually hate prequels, because they feel like fanservice material. This one is pretty much the same, felt rather disgusting and needless to me.   Overall Rating: 4/10   34. Apfelland Monogatari Appleland Story アップフェルラント物語 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Adventure, Drama Apfelland is a small but beautiful country surrounded by Russia, Austria, and Germany. Vel is a boy who lives in the capital, Charlottenburg. He happens to help a girl Frid. She was kidnapped because radium mine was found in her grandfather's abandoned mine. Aiming at the radium mine, various people gather there, for example, an American who wants to make money, a Polish woman disguised like a man who wants to earn money for the revolution, and the ministry of Apfelland who plots to affiliate with Germany. Vel and Frida are involved in their plots, and they know the secret of the mine. I remember watching it before and liking it substantially. It's a nice small adventure in alternative history. Quite good in the moment, but after some time you'll hardly remember it, I barely managed after 5+ years.   Overall Rating: 6/10   35. Chibi Maruko-chan: Watashi no Suki na Uta ちびまる子ちゃん わたしの好きな歌 [Nippon Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shoujo Music, Visual Arts Drama, Romance, Slice of Life Sakura Momoko's teacher assigns the third grade to draw an image based on their favorite song to enter a contest. Momoko loves a song she recently learned during her music class and is anxious to make a good drawing based on it. On her way to meet her relatives in Shizuoka, she meets Shouko Kimura, a university student who occasionally draws portraits at the local train station and plans to also participate in an art contest. Fascinated by her illustrations, Sakura meets Kimura once again. Shouko is enchanted by Momoko's sympathy and honesty. They quickly become friends and end up inspiring each other in their own way. This movie is even more lyrical than the last one. There are still a few nice jokes. On the bad side, narrator irony comments are gone in this movie. On the bright side, a lot of really nice songs with crazy video row. In the end it's around the same level as last Maruko-chan movie.   Overall Rating: 7/10   36. Oishinbo: Kyuukyoku tai Shikou, Chouju Ryouri Taiketsu!! 美味しんぼ　究極対至高　長寿料理対決!! [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Gourmet, Slice of Life Ultimate Menu and Supreme Menu square off in a cooking battle about dishes that promote longevity. For Supreme's Kaibara Yuzan and Ultimate's Yamaoka Shirou (who are father and son), this confrontation is more than strictly business: it's personal. It's nice to see Oishinbo in good quality. As it could be expected from longevity theme, it would be all about super exotic Chinese dishes that no one ever heard about. And there's hardly anything besides that, was a bore.   Overall Rating: 5/10   37. Shou-chan Sora wo Tobu Sho is Flying in the Sky 翔ちゃん空をとぶ [-] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Horror, Sci-Fi  An anime version of Ikkei Makina's horror novel of the same name. It aired at the same time as the live-action adaptation. Not translated. I bet it has much more meaning if watched in conjunction with live-action adaptation. Because anime is just battle of two genius kindergarten superpower kids. Just pointless.   Overall Rating: 5/10   38. Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf バトルファイターズ餓狼伝説 [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance Jeff Bogard was a master of the Hakkyokuseiken martial arts school and the guardian of its secret techniques. Coveting this knowledge, Geese Howard, the most powerful man in South Town, challenged and murdered him in front of his adoptive sons Terry and Andy Bogard. Under the guidance of their mentor Tung Fe Rue, the brothers dedicate their lives to training in the ultimate art to avenge their father. 10 years later, Geese promotes a martial arts tournament known as the King of Fighters. Terry and Andy join their friend Muay Thai champion Joe Higashi and enter the competition in order to finally face Geese in combat. Anime is based on old fighting game, so for those unfamiliar with the game it would be a boring poorly staged cheating-filled fighting tournament with some prologue.   Overall Rating: 5/10   39. Youkai Ningen Bem: Part II 妖怪人間ベム パートII [Topcraft] (Finished 0/2) Tags: Mythology Horror For 1982 a 26-episode TV series sequel to Youkai Ningen Bem was planned. Because the original producers disbanded, the animation was done by Topcraft. 2 episodes were created and the project shut down without airing on television. The episodes were released to the public on a LD-Box Set a decade later. 2,000 units were printed and all were sold out. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   40. Crayon Shin-chan Specials クレヨンしんちゃん Specials [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 3/87) Tags: Seinen School Comedy, Ecchi 87 Crayon Shin-chan TV Specials exist as of August 6, 2022. Not translated. Specials are usually themed around certain dates and may have specific jokes and unusual, even unrealistic stage. It makes them of lesser priority than movies and tv series, and considered the huge numbers of those I doubt specials will ever get translated. They're also harder to find with  .   Overall Rating: 6/10
  25. kivandopulus
    I failed to find something really good in Summer 1992 season, Kurenai no Buta is the best title among the decent ones, but I still don't consider it a masterpiece.   1. Yadamon Yadamon: Magical Dreamer ヤダモン [Group TAC] (Finished 3/170) Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy  After causing havoc in the Witch Forest, the queen, Yadamon's mother, banishes her to human world. She does this not only to teach Yadamon a lesson, but also because she has a secret passion for human magazines and books. While at the human world, the queen keeps a close watch at Yadamon which becomes a problem cause she falls asleep almost anywhere. The human world has gone extremely hi-tech. Also, a lot of animals has become extinct. Yadamon finds herself in the island named ''Creature Island'', where genetically re-created species are being made. In the island she meets Jean and his parents Edward and Maria. Yadamon meets many misadventures in the human world due to her curiosity which causes a lot of trouble to the humans and her guardian fairy, Timon, who has the ability to stop time. As Yadamon learns to adapt to human world and use her powers, a new threat is brewing. Kira, the evil witch who was sealed inside a volcano by the queen and the great witch Beril, has escaped. She is out for revenge and has set her eyes to the humans and Yadamon. Only some 15 episodes are translated. I usually block series with 10 minute episodes, but it's the only new non-kid series of the season for the second Summer in a row, lol, so let it be an exception. It's actually 10 minutes with opening and ending... and only some 7 minutes without. The development is slow with much talking, so there's only enough time for some small event, and it always ends with a cliff hanger which can hardly be called so as in fact it's just beginning of a new scene that's abrupted by credits. And the only running joke is girl constantly answering yada-yadamon, or "don't need" at everything... I don't know who it is for as it's a magical girl with normal comedy development, but not simple enough to be branded as for kids. With length like that and episodic nature I'd actually not recommend it to anyone.   Overall Rating: 4/10   2. Tenchi Muyou! Ryououki Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki 天地無用！魎皇鬼 [AIC] (Finished 7/7) Tags: Shounen Space Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi Seventeen-year-old Tenchi Masaki grew up hearing stories about how his ancestor used a sword to seal a demon inside a cave seven hundred years ago. When curiosity gets the better of him, Tenchi goes to the cave and stumbles across the sword from the legend. Thinking that the story is nothing more than a fairy tale, he removes the blade and inadvertently releases the demon, who turns out to be a space pirate named Ryouko Hakubi. Furious about being trapped for so long, she attacks Tenchi, but he is able to repel her with the sword, awakening his inner power. After seeing this, Ryouko takes an interest in her unlikely savior and decides to crash at his place. As if it were a chain reaction, more alien women—Aeka Jurai Masaki, an uptight princess from the planet Jurai; Sasami, Aeka's sweet younger sister; Mihoshi Kuramitsu, a ditzy Galactic Police Officer; and Washuu Hakubi, a wisecracking genius—gradually come in contact with Tenchi and begin living with him. Through his encounters with these five women, Tenchi begins to learn more about his ancestry, newfound power, and the looming threat lurking beyond the skies. I never was fan of older romcom. I remember one smaller harem title back in the past before 1992, but Tenchi seems to be the first full-scale harem series which is a huge improvement over constant hit-and run concept of Urusei Yatsura. For me Tenchi lacks substance and normal humor. There is fanservice humor and some random guys from other planets as enemies. This is a very old approach - make a setting and keep using it for 150 episodes by inserting any small stories as desired. Without real story or some outstanding humor this franchise is doomed from the start and can only be remembered with nostalgy as the first notable harem.   Overall Rating: 6/10   3. Bastard!! Ankoku no Hakaishin Bastard!! バスタード!! 暗黒の破壊神 [AIC] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Seinen Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Ecchi The kingdom of Metallicana is under attack from the Four Lords of Havoc. This party of villains—ninja master Gara, deadly thunder empress Nei Arshes, cold and calculating Kall-Su, and enigmatic dark priest Abigail—will stop at nothing to get what they want, even if it leaves utter destruction in their wake. High Priest Geo is desperate to help save the kingdom and its people. He unleashes the mighty wizard Dark Schneider, a man who used to be an ally of the villains. Unfortunately, Dark Schneider has his own plans in mind. Will he stop the Four Lords of Havoc or join them in their conquest of the world? Fantasy setting and mature enough characters with MD Geist-like power-hungry protagonist are a big plus, but all this innocent to brutal to innocent transformation with a kiss is basically the same as eye-patch for the third eye in Mitsume ga Tooru. Moreover, at first episode protagonists are attacked by some general apprentice and we're told that there are four enemy generals to face. So from the very start we already roughly know the concept - there will be one general per episode with the main baddie in the last episode, and that makes all 6 episodes which is a very short-time strategy. In reality things are shuffled a bit, but the gist remains. Episodes 4-5 lose humor and becomes rather sour. Setting had enough sauce for a masterpiece, maybe remake version that's already out can execute things better.   Overall Rating: 6/10   4. Giant Robo the Animation: Chikyuu ga Seishi Suru Hi Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still ジャイアントロボ THE ANIMATION 地球が静止する日 [Phoenix Entertainment] (Finished 7/7) Tags: Shounen Mecha, Super Power Action, Drama, Sci-Fi In a future to come humanity enjoys a new age of prosperity thanks to Dr. Shizuma's invention of a revolutionary renewable energy source: the Shizuma Drive. But this peace is threatened by Big Fire, a cabal seeking world domination. Against Big Fire the International Police Organisation dispatches a collection of superpowered warriors and martial artists, together with Daisaku Kusama, inheritor and master of Earth's most powerful robot, Giant Robo. By capturing an abnormal Shizuma Drive which is essential to Big Fire's plans the IPO ignites a desperate conflict between the two groups. The coming battle will test Daisaku's resolve to the utmost, reveal the ghastly truth behind the creation of the Shizuma Drive, and bring human civilization to its knees! Giant Robo is a character-driven adventure in a retro-futuristic setting, drawing on influences from opera, kung-fu cinema, wuxia stories and classic mecha anime. It incorporates characters from the works of the manga author Mitsuteru Yokoyama but it is designed to be a stand-alone story. Another adaptation of mecha manga from 1960s. Felt pretty old and uninteresting to me. Also there are a lot of childish moves, No memorable characters or humor spotted. Basically, just battle of characters with superpowers. That's dead average in my set of coordinates.   Overall Rating: 5/10   5. Ushio to Tora Ushio and Tora うしおととら [Pastel] (Finished 10/10) Tags: Action, Comedy, Horror Ushio thinks his father's tale of an ancient ancestor impaling a demon on a temple altar stone with the legendary Beast Spear is nuts, but when he finds the monster in his own basement, Ushio has to take another look at the family legend! Fortunately, Ushio knows it's best to let sleeping dogs lie and leave captured demons where they are. Unfortunately, the release of the monster's evil energies begins to beckon other demons to Ushio's hometown! To save his friends and family from the invading spirits, Ushio is forced to release Tora from his captivity. But will the cure prove to be worse than the curse? Will Ushio end his life a Tora-snack? Or will the Beast Spear keep Tora in line long enough to save the city? I remember trying Ushio to Tora long ago, got impression of a bland anime that time. So this time need to finish it to finalize impression. And indeed development from the start is slow and setting becomes finalized only by the end of 6th episode. Anyway, again a generic shounen about fighting conveniently appearing evil spirits with the only interesting encounter being in the finale.   Overall Rating: 5/10   6. Hanappe Bazooka 花平バズーカ [Studio Signal] (Finished 1/1) Tags: School Action, Comedy, Ecchi Lecherous high school boy Hanappe is visited by two demons who step from his TV and immediately fall in lust with his mother and sister. The demons turn Hanappe's home into a meeting ground for their demonic friends and grant Hanappe the power of the Hanappe Bazooka. Now his index finger is capable of both a deadly blast and the ability to drive women in a lustful frenzy, but Hanappe isn't very good at controlling it and winds up in serious trouble. Very shitty demon-themed ecchi with a real suicide and nothing left that I'd even want to remember. Stupid as hell.   Overall Rating: 4/10   7. Hello Harinezumi: Satsui no Ryoubun Domain of Murder ハロー張りネズミ 殺意の領分 [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Psychological Drama, Mystery One stormy night, a young woman is shot to death on a cliff; her body is found floating in the waters below the next morning. She was last seen with a man who is now being sought not only for her death. Meanwhile, an estranged wife hires Goro, a private investigator, to find her husband. Alongside another member of law enforcement with his own motives for finding the man, Goro sets forth on a trail of tragedy and intrigue to find the reason and connection behind the murders and missing husband. All detectives look more or less the same for me, and this one is not exception. Of course, there's intrigue about murderer, but it's the same in all works of the genre as well.   Overall Rating: 5/10   8. Iron Virgin Jun 鉄の処女JUN [Dynamic Planning] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Martial Arts, Super Power Action, Comedy, Fantasy In the Asuka family, nothing is more important than family tradition. For their lovely young daughter Jun, it means she must get married on her 18th birthday. Although poor little virgin Jun is not above kickin' butt, she just can't stand the thought of marrying someone she doesn't love. Her mother sends out a gang of bloodthirsty goons to drag her to the altar, but Jun would rather beat a hundred suitors into one big bloody mess than get married on her mother's terms, and she's about to prove it. Useless. Won't gain and won't lose anything by watching a couple of lads fighting and running away from rapists.   Overall Rating: 3/10   9. Oira Sukeban おいら女蛮[スケバン] [Studio Signal] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Crossdressing, School Comedy, Ecchi Does being the only guy in an all girl school sound like paradise? It might be, if the girls knew you were a guy, but to stay in school teenage pervert Banji can't let can't let anyone find out his chromosomes don't match. Banji's status conscious parents want him to go to a good school, but not enough to spend the money on a good co-ed school. Now, in addition to studying math and science, Banji has to learn how to put on a bra and makeup. His life has become a living hell. Not only is he at the bottom of the social pecking order, he must also got to conceal his inner-masculinity from the pretty classmate girl who's stolen his heart while avoiding the female bullies who threaten to expose his less-than-feminine charms in the locker room. I'm not a fan of trap anime, and this one is the bare bones of the genre without anything on top of it.   Overall Rating: 4/10   10. OZ オズ [Madhouse, Studio Fantasia] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shoujo Military Action, Drama, Sci-Fi  A nuclear war has killed most of humanity and split the USA into six warring states. By 2021, a legend has grown up about the fabled city of OZ where everything still works. Scientist Felicia sets out in search of it with the mercenary Muto and android 1019. At the end of the quest they only discover a military base and a madman. A mercenary was hired by a girl to bring her to the mythical Oz (a paradise) where her missing brother supposedly lived. Accompanying them was a cyborg sent by her brother. But Oz was not the paradise it seemed and her brother was not as sane as he was smart. It's difficult to make post-apocalypse feel boring, but Oz succeeds at that. Basically, there is only running and fighting with some occasional discussion is similar interiors resembling some base. There's not enough explanation or focus on characters with over a dozen of them. Camera is constantly shifting to different locations with different characters with zoomed scenes and no perspective. Anti-climatic ending where everything settles itself without protagonists also feels lackluster. Overall, it's just poor execution and bad experience.   Overall Rating: 5/10   11. Nozomi Witches のぞみ ウィッチィズ [Group TAC] (Finished 3/3) Tags: Romance, Sports  Ryoutaro Shiba and his family have just moved into a new housing neighborhood. He soon discovers he is lucky enough to be living next to a beautiful and bewitching girl named Nozomi Egawa. Nozomi is athletic, an actress, and surprisingly more than anything else, she wants Ryoutaro to become a boxer so that he can fulfil her dream. Ryoutaro isn't exactly sure what Nozomi's dream is, but he definitely does not want to become a boxer. Unfortunately for Ryoutaro, he finds himself being dragged to the high school boxing club because Nozomi has written a resume for him claiming that he is a boxing genius! It actually seems that Ryoutaro has a special gift for boxing that he has never known about before. Ryoutaro soon finds himself in the winners' circle. But for how long can he last, and can he really live up to Nozomi's expectations? Viva progress. Characters in this sport romance anime look a bit different from all those five previous ones Nine-Touch-Slow Step etc etc. So for me it turns into a painful game whether each camera focus looks like before or differently. Basically, I've seen it all before already elsewhere, and there even was more spectacular boxing.   Overall Rating: 5/10   12. Chameleon (OVA) Bite me! カメレオン [Egg] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Seinen Delinquents, School Comedy, Ecchi The series follows the antics of tenth-grade student Eisaku Yazawa who wants to become a bousouzoku, a motorcycle gang member. It's all about trashy delinquent humor, so highly subjective. Other anime of the genre had strong protagonists and thus authenticity. This one is pure comedy as protagonist is super short and weak winning by twist of luck or with help of others. And for the same reason it does not reach even level of Karate-bu for me.   Overall Rating: 6/10   13. Princess Army: Wedding★Combat Princess Army: Wedding Combat ぷりんせすARMY - ウェディング★COMBAT - [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Shoujo Martial Arts Action, Romance The story is about Aida Nonoka who is rescued from a drunken attacker by a judoist. She then resolves to become as good as her savior, hoping that one day to recognize him by the scar on his back. She then transferred into a new high school where she meets two older boys who could possibly the person to whom she owes her life and to give her heart. Bishounens compete over one girl. It's harmful as it still has weird sexist ideas from the 1980s.   Overall Rating: 4/10   14. Karasu Tengu Kabuto: Ougon no Me no Kemono 鴉天狗カブト 黄金の目のケモノ [KSS] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical Action, Adventure, Drama Kabuto is a tengu who has to save a princess from fortress which is full of monster-mecha hybrids in an alternate reality of feudal Japan. Series was really weird and hectic. This OVA manages to overthrow that impression to the worst. There's little logic in events, and spontaneous weird moves just keep viewers in awe as a sick fantasy.   Overall Rating: 4/10   15. Shin Dousei Jidai: Hawaiian Breeze 新・同棲時代 HAWAIIAN BREEZE [Animaruya] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Drama, Romance  In this adaptation of a manga by Fumi Shibama, itself a retelling of a 1972 manga by Kazuo Kamimura (the original Age of Cohabitation whose existence is implied by the "new" in this title), Honda has been living with Eri for two years and debates whether or not he should ask her to marry him. Visuals are pretty bad. Contents is man's constant attempts to trick or persuade woman to make a child and her constant evasion or running away without words. Does it even look like an interesting setting? And in the very end we learn woman's reason - enjoy if you can.   Overall Rating: 4/10   16. Houkago no Tinker Bell 放課後のティンカー・ベル [Ashi Productions] (Finished 1/1) Tags: School Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Slice of Life Kenichi Akizuki and Misako Watanabe work together to solve the mysterious disappearance of their classmate Ryouko Miyazaki. The only clue left by the kidnapper is signed Koushin Okazaki, her late classmate who'd committed suicide to preserve his youth and become like Peter Pan. Pretty dumb story engulfed in mystery that two juvenile wanna be detectives or something uncover. Those who don't like detectives should not even bother.   Overall Rating: 5/10   17. Seikima II Humane Society: Jinrui Ai ni Michita Shakai 聖飢魔II HUMANE SOCIETY ~人類愛に満ちた社会~ [Production I.G, animate Film] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mythology Action, Fantasy, Supernatural Seikima II was a real-life Japanese death-metal band. Full of kabuki makeup, songs about rape, murder, and satanic destruction, and a public persona of devilish evil. The OVA purports to tell the backstory of the band, which, according to its publicity, was composed of actual demons (akuma) from the parallel dimension Makai. In the OVA, five vicious demons (the five band members), led by Demon Kogure (the lead singer), are plotting the destruction of humanity. The only effective opposition comes from the saintly Rosa, who is actually the reformed war goddess Freyja in disguise. The demons attempt to activate their ultimate weapon, the Tower of Babel, before Rosa can complete her counter weapon, the Tower of Cain. The demons triumph and are on the verge on destroying the world when their leader suddenly decides that they should, instead, form a rock-and-roll band in order to convert people everywhere into demon worshipers. Anime about real life stuff usually is a bad choice since this stuff can only be portrayed as cool without any self-irony. There is demon invasion, but it does not go beyond tasteless coolness.   Overall Rating: 5/10   18. Mikeneko Holmes no Yuurei Joushu 三毛猫ホームズの幽霊城主 [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Pets Comedy, Drama, Mystery Based on Akagawa Jirou's popular book series about hapless detective Katayama Yoshitaro who lives with his sister Harumi and their cat Holmes, which has a sixth sense when it comes to solve mysteries. In this stand alone OVA the aftershow party of Harumi's acting troupe becomes the showplace of murder and tragedy. Luckily Yoshitaro brought Holmes along. I am sorry , cat detective Holmes is the kind of cringe I can't accept.   Overall Rating: 4/10   19. Star Dust スター・ダスト [Victor Entertainment] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Space Sci-Fi A misguided sci-fi tale of ecological police keeping space free from pollution in 2061. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   20. Don: Gokudou Suikoden ドン 極道水滸伝 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/2) Tags: Organized Crime Drama Takekichi and Masakazu are two tough guys who are forced to go underground when they lose their boss in a turf war in this modern update of the classic Chinese novel "Water Margin". A normal yakuza rising in power story with constant violence and deaths. Pure action, nothing special.   Overall Rating: 5/10   21. Kurenai no Buta Porco Rosso 紅の豚 [Studio Ghibli] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Historical, Military Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Romance After a curse turned him into a pig, World War I ace Marco Pagot becomes Porco Rosso, a mysterious bounty hunter who takes down sky pirates in the Adriatic Sea. He whiles away his days on a secluded island, rarely leaving other than to collect bounties or to visit the beautiful Gina, a songstress and owner of the Hotel Adriano. One day, while traveling to fix his faulty engine, Porco Rosso is gunned down by a young American hotshot named Donald Curtis. Thrilled at the possibility of fame, Donald boldly declares that the flying pig is dead. Not wanting to disappoint Gina, Porco Rosso flees to the famous Piccolo S.P.A. airplane company and takes out a massive loan in order to repair and improve his fighter plane. There, he is surprised to find that the chief engineer of Piccolo S.P.A. is the 17-year-old Fio Piccolo, who hungers for a chance to prove herself. With Fio's improvements, Porco Rosso prepares to challenge Donald officially and regain his honor. I watched it a long time ago, but nothing but selfish protagonist and planers left in memory. I watched it now, and again nothing really catches the eye. I don't like steampunk, so atmosphere does not excite in the least. Story is very mediocre as it's just couple plane challenges with a very weird reverse sleeping beauty sidetrack. Everyone seems to be head over heels just about the fact that protagonist is not a small girl. So what? Protagonist is special, but only for Ghibli as there are a lot of grumpy protagonists later on in anime and couple even more rude ones before that. Fascist Italy stage is original, but it has no real plot meaning due to only couple half-assed pursuits and opportunity to say "better pig that fascist", and probably the whole this movie is made like that just to say that phrase. There is cool directorship and humor feels amusing though not funny, but overall it's a disappointment.   Overall Rating: 6/10   22. Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: The Fading Light of Zeon Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: The Afterglow Of Zeon 機動戦士ガンダム0083 －ジオンの残光－ [Sunrise] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Mecha, Space Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi U.C. 0083 - Three years after the end of the catastrophic One Year War, peace on Earth and the colonies is shattered by the presence of the Delaz Fleet, a rogue Zeon military group loyal to the ideals of the late dictator Gihren Zabi. Delaz Fleet`s ace pilot Anavel Gato, once hailed as "The Nightmare of Solomon", infiltrates the Federation`s Torrington base in Australia and steals the nuclear-armed Gundam GP02A "Physalis" prototype. Rookie pilot Kou Uraki - with the aid of Anaheim Electronics engineer Nina Purpleton and the crew of the carrier Albion - pilots the Gundam GP01 "Zephyranthes" prototype in an attempt to recover the stolen Gundam unit and prevent another war from breaking out. I hate this franchise with all heart and keep watching it just because it seems to be known. Since it's hastily merged compilation of the 0083 series, it's just horrible.   Overall Rating: 2/10   23. Kaze no Tairiku The Weathering Continent 風の大陸 [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural  Three adventurers—a warrior, a priest, and a young woman—traverse a land devastated by centuries of environmental calamities searching only for a way to survive. In their journeys they stumble across first the remains of a band of desperate treasure-hunters, and then the treasure they were seeking: Azec Sistra, the legendary City of the Dead. Unfortunately, the bandits responsible for slaughtering the treasure-hunters have also found their way to the city, but more worrisome still are the guardians which protect Azec Sistra from those who would violate the spirits at rest there... We've discovered a new genre - simulator of walking. Seriously, heroes walk past stuff and sometimes unsheathe weapons just to put them back the next moment. Some stuff is more creepy, but they heroically walk past it anyway. Did you expect a battle or something as climax? There's nothing like that, they just arrive ... somewhere, lol. I'm not kidding, it's that senseless...   Overall Rating: 4/10   24. Silent Möbius 2 サイレントメビウス2 [AIC] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Mythology Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi This sequel to the Silent Mobius The Movie 1 continues the timeline of the flashback section of the first movie (Katsumis initial contact with AMP), using some more ideas and persons from the Manga, and being slightly less incompatible to the Silent Mobius series from 1998. 2/3 of the movie is just talks which is a disappointment after action-heavy first movie. By comparing alone, it can't be the same score.   Overall Rating: 5/10   25. Yawara!: Sore Yuke Koshinuke Kids!! YAWARA！ それゆけ腰ぬけキッズ！！ [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Combat Sports, Martial Arts Comedy, Slice of Life Yawara helps a group of timid grade school kids overcome their fears and compete in a judo competition. One of the kids is Hanazono's cousin, which is how she meets them. Another is a girl who seems a whole lot like Yawara. It's my principle that I watch at least one movie after the series no matter how bad the series was. Series was very weak in my opinion, but movie is actually a lot better due to focus on many nice characters rather than one boring girl. I hate to admit that I also participated in one juvenile judo tournament at school, and it was same cringy as in this movie, lol, although in real life there are hardly any clean ippons at all. Overall, better than expected, but far from great still due to bigger focus on spokon training than on comedy itself.   Overall Rating: 6/10   26. Rokudenashi Blues ろくでなしBLUES [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Shounen Combat Sports, Delinquents, School Comedy, Drama Maeda is a new student in the Teiken High School. He stutters when he's nervous and he's rather clumsy. He gets noted immediately because he hits a teacher during the entrance ceremony. Some clubs search to enlist him as they see in him a force they can use to get even with other clubs. But Maeda is a loner and has only one dream: becoming a boxing champion. It's an average delinquents anime with lots of violence and only a shade of humor. 30 minute length means there's not enough time for anything else.   Overall Rating: 5/10   27. Senbon Matsubara せんぼんまつばら [-] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Historical Drama After suffering severe floods in 1753, the people of Senbon Matsubara in Shizuoka cooperate on flood prevention around the Kiso, Nagara, and Yuhi rivers. The people of Satsuma (Kumamoto Prefecture) endure great hardships after being forced to undertake the work by the central government, a subtle indication of the bad feeling that would foment into open rebellion the following century. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10   28. Zouressha ga Yatte Kita 象列車がやってきた [Mushi Production] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Adventure  An educational film about the Elephant Trains in Japan. During WW2 many zoos were slaughtering their dangerous animals (such as elephants) as a safeguard against Allied bombings which might release the animals. After WW2, the only elephants that remained in Japan were two at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya. Special trains called Elephant Trains were arranged to bring children from all over the country to Higashiyama Zoo. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10
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