Clephas

Shuffle- Like most VNs turned anime in the early days, this one had all the paths mashed together. However, Shuffle is one of the rare exceptions to the 'early VN anime suck) rule. I say this because, for some reason, the resulting story is actually coherent in its own way, separate from the VN. In fact, some aspects are actually better than the original text (particularly Kaede's yandere-ism). It also has a few peculiarities, like the original story writer appearing as a character cameo briefly at certain parts of the story (apparently, Asa was his favorite heroine). One thing you have to keep in mind, though, is that Shuffle is a harem story, not a boy meets girl one-on-one romance, lol. FMP3- Full Metal Panic never does manage to go anywhere, but it has some great combat scenes. DC2-Da Capo 2 suffers from a more severe version of the problems that plague VNs turned anime, in that it was truly incoherent. xxxHolic Movie- Definitely worth watching if you like Clamp series or xxxHolic's style. Seikai no Senki III- The last of the Crest/Banner of stars anime. This one focuses on the inevitable differences between conventional humans and the Abh civilization and the protagonist's inevitable permanent alienation from the rest of humanity. Tbh, I wish they'd continued putting out more after this one, as this is only a third of the way through the story as a whole, but that's anime for you. Guyver- Classic-style transformation hero anime with a strong darkside. Quality is moderate.

Shin Koihime- started this, immediately asked for a return on the website I bought it from. If you wanted more Cao Cao and friends, it will probably satisfy, but it isn't really interesting for people who want more than just a fandisc, at least from what little I played. Koi ni Amae wa Hitsuyou desu- It is Hook soft, so predictably it will be a saccharine romance with a truly mundane premise. Kemonomichi 2- The first game was boring, I seriously doubt this will make anything better. Whirlpool should return to its old style of making plotge masquerading as rom-coms.

Tsubasa Chronicles- Have to disagree that this was crap. For fans of xxxHolic and CCS it is a good anime. I loved it as a multiverse journey, myself.... Basilisk- High-quality animation, powerful combat scenes, ridiculous story. Trinity Blood- Excellent setting, sub-par protagonist, good action. Elementar Gerad- Shounen, middle-of-the-line quality, decent but no better than decent. Futaokoi Alternative- Weird series, somewhat humorous, thought the person who made the original material had to be high on crack.

Backing up the rec for Hollow. Easily the best game in the series. The protagonist, Leon is an experimental soldier/commander who was altered by the current leader of the demons to be a counter to divine forces. Game begins with him brutally suppressing a military rebellion.

Air- Like most VN-based anime that came out in this period, it basically smashed all the paths together into a single story. However, it needs to be said that the last arc is godly in quality, with perfect dialogue and presentation. Aa Megami Sama- Actually one of my favorite series. A good fantasy rom-com.

For Eushully, the ones that are fully translated aren't good choices for introducing the setting. Ikusa Megami Zero and Verita are the best intros, with Madou Koukaku coming a close third. Vermillion Bind of Blood The Silverio series

https://vndb.org/v18142

Please clarify... I can't make a recommendation with just that.

Elfen Lied- It's Elfen Lied... this series is pretty controversial, but it is a highly emotional horror series with a tragic backstory and ending. Also, awesome music. Demonbane- Like most of the early VNs turned anime, it combines all the routes into a single story, resulting in a somewhat incoherent story as a whole. However, it does have decent action and some interesting moments.

Monster- Monster... is unique. It is a story following a doctor who was framed for murder as he follows the chameleon-like sociopath who framed him in the first place. It is pretty close to the Fugitive (the old US TV series) in concept, but it is based in Europe. Tenjou Tenge- High-quality animation, horrible-quality story. This was made to appeal to fans of Ikki Tousen who wanted a story that was more serious from the beginning. Unfortunately, the makers failed miserably to make it coherent, and as a result, it never got a second season. Kyou Kara Maou- Pretty famous fantasy series. It has a decent story and a good set of characters. The downside is that the protagonist is a bit too fuzzy most of the time,. Boukyaku no Senritsu- A rather incoherent series based in a world where 'monsters' have won the war and young humans are offered up as sacrifices so the rest can live. Madlax- Madlax is the second in the 'girls with guns' series started by Noir. If you liked Noir, you'll like this one. However, if you didn't like it, you probably won't. Aishiteiruze Baby- This series is unique, which is rare for a love-comedy. It follows an airheaded playboy teenager as he takes care of his much younger cousin after she is abandoned by her mother. His interactions with Yuzu eventually result in the formation of a more serious relationship between him and another girl. It is a pretty good story, given how the characters evolve. Kono Miniku- A weird apocalyptic series that probably sparked the idea for Rewrite's setting.

Tsundere annoyance is generally a matter of perspective and usage. Old-style tsundere usage is fairly stale and boring, and in that sense this VN hasn't aged well. However, the draw of this game is that it is an old-style nakige more than anything else. If you want a change of pace, this - and other games like it - probably isn't the best choice. While it isn't terribly dark, it is a game that is focused on creating emotional catharsis through contrived 'sad' situations that are later resolved (the standard style made popular by Key's early games). If you want an emotionally light game, there are a ton of high-quality and emotionally 'light' rom-coms and sol-focused vns out there. If anything, there is such a plentitude of that type of VN out there that it makes up more than two-thirds of all the non-nukige VNs released over the years.

They probably never finished the game/vanished. Since I can't find it on steam, it was probably never released.

Paranoia Agent- I hate this anime. It is an abomination that should never have existed. Please destroy this. It is the reason I can't enjoy half of Nitroplus's VN lineup. Phantom- Phantom's OVA is a prequel to the VN focusing on the events that lead up to Zwei being captured and used by Dr Scythe.

Chrono Crusade- A melancholy series that focuses on a girl and her servant demon as they try to counter the activities of free demons on Earth. Gunslinger Girls- A 'girls with guns' series focused on cyborg girls who have undergone brainwashing levels of conditioning. These girls were generally abused/crippled/terminally ill when they were taken in. Their memories from before were erased. The first season jumps around in time, focusing on different girls and their handlers. The only one that gets a long-term focus in this one is Henrietta. The girls are all a bit yandere due to the way the conditioning causes them to rely emotionally on their handlers. The whole point of this inhumane program is to counter terrorist organizations in a fictional future Italy where separatists have gone militant. Fullmetal Alchemist- C'mon Kvan, for all the flaws with this series, it is still better than Cromartie.... Avenger- Dystopian sci-fi at its mediocre, lol. In a childless world, androids have taken the place of children. The protagonist is a girl who wants revenge against the rulers of Mars for an event several years prior to the story. The action in this story is worth watching, and the music is first-class. However, the story is more than a little incoherent. Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi- It's basically a continuation of the previous season, focused solely on everyday episodes instead of trying to draw out tears. You'd think this wouldn't work since he chose a heroine at the end of the first season, but somehow it does. Peacemaker Kurogane- Follows a page boy that technically existed as a servant of the Shinsengumi's core members and was one of the few survivors. Most of the story is everyday interactions with the Shinsengumi members as they mostly try to distance him from the bloodier stuff. Tsukihime- It has long been a joke that 'there is no Tsukihime anime' because of how badly it was handled. If you have never played the VN, it actually doesn't bother you as much, but if you have, it drives you nuts. They basically mashed three of the five paths into a single story (Ciel and Kohaku excluded) that, while coherent, has little to do with the original content. Since the events of Hisui and Akiha's path were fused with the events of Arcueid's path, it is a wonder that it somehow came out semi-coherent. Taken on its own, entirely separate from the VN, it is a better than average anime, but taken with the original material in mind, it is an abomination. Especially since they wasted a lot of the best scenes shared between the paths and in Arcueid's path. Maburaho- Nakige-style ecchi rom-com. It is actually a pretty good watch, but it is from an era with many similar anime, so it is often overlooked. Kimi ga Nozomu Eien- I honestly hate NTR stories, so this is one of my least favorite anime of all time. Based in the same universe as the Muv-luv series.

In a lot of ways, Onslaught Syndrome is an echo of the sudden personality changes seen in characters in Tsukihime. I say this because being influenced by the 'original existence' is very much the same as the way demonic descendants suddenly develop atavism in Tsukihime and the Fate setting in general. The key thing to keep in mind when thinking about HMIs is that the 'originals' are really similar to Cthulhu Mythos deities in nature, malevolent and alien. When this mixes with humans, you get a monster who has motivations that are incompatible with human society. There is mention of HMI abilities evolving, to be specific, Eru. Eru was not originally a top-class HMI, and it was only with extensive training that she reached those heights. In Shinri's case, his power 'evolution' is just turning his ability to mess with people's brains on himself and intensifying it. It's pretty similar to the random powerups you see in other chuunige, where the protagonist's abilities evolve for emotional or situational reasons. Also, random 'hero survives something impossibly because he is the hero' events are standard to all Japanese fantasy and action series, so there is no point in analyzing it. It's like asking the forbidden question about why they made the last Code Geass movie when the vast majority of fans liked the original ending of the TV series... lol

I should note that there is very, very little description/narration in this story. It is almost completely dialogue based, so in that sense it falls behind most other VNs. However, since the entire point of the VN is making you laugh, it doesn't matter as much as it would in a different VN (even a charage). I remember that this VN made me smile on numerous occasions, so I'm not going to go any further in saying anything negative about it.

Da Capo- It's Da Capo... early era SOL VN turned anime, and like most of those early era ones it combines all the routes into a single story. This makes it a bit incoherent at times, though it does have its high points. Onegai Twins- Onegai Sensei's side-story focusing on another local boy who is a programmer. Two girls end up living with him, both with the possibility of being his twin sister. There is a ton of sexual tension and emotional dependence in this story, but it is generally enjoyable to read. Fumoffu- A comedic second season for FMP. Unlike the former and latter seasons, there is very little action, instead focusing on the silliness and slapstick humor the series is infamous for. Ikkitousen- Martial arts action in a modern era lightly flavored with Three Kingdoms names on mostly half-naked (by the end of the battle) teenage girls. If it weren't for the constant partial nudity, there would be some good action scenes here, but it is too obvious what they are going for. Green Green- Crappy rom-com

DNangel- Moderately famous fantasy series that involves a body-switching phantom thief that takes over the protagonist's body. Hasn't aged very well. Scrapped Princess- A story about choices between the world and a pretty girl. You'd choose the pretty girl, right? Airmaster- Street-fighting female protagonist who is an adrenaline addict fights her way to the top of an underground battle competition. Great fun but the setting is pretty nonsensical. Matantei Loki Ragnarok- Random fantasy mystery series. It's a fun watch but don't expect a ton of depth.

It sounds familiar... but I don't think it was from a VN I bothered remembering. It's probably buried somewhere in my past, lol.

Not really much to talk about this season. Wolf's Rain is about it, but it isn't amongst my favorite anime.

Gundam Seed- Amongst the Gundam series, there are few sub-series that have produced as much in the way of mixed feelings as this one. The action in this series is top-notch, but on the other hand, the excessive emo-ism of the characters (the protagonist and his rival in particular) made it a target for insults by many otakus. The main focus of the conflict of this series is a war between genetically-altered humans and those who have chosen to remain unaltered. It is a nearly identical scenario to that of the Zeon vs Federation in the first MS Gundam, except that there is pnly a relatively short prior history of systematic repression against the genetically altered humans in question before this. Get Backers- Urban fantasy seinen battle series with two former delinquents with powers who take stolen things and give them back to their original owners. Eventually evolves into a pure battle anime. Decent quality, ends incomplete. Naruto- Doesn't need an intro, but a warning for those rare souls who never experienced it... after the first season, over 70% of the anime is filler. Ghost in the Shell- It's Ghost in the Shell. If you liked the movie, you'll like this, otherwise you probably won't. Blue Gender- The post-apocalyptic anime that put me off post-apocalyptic anime. I hate bugs. Kiddy Grade- This series is, oddly, one of the best science-fantasy series out there (despite its absurdities). It is a hidden gem I recommend to anyone who can get past the fan-service to get at the meat of it. Spiral- Mystery series that never really makes sense, despite being rather interesting.

Samurai Deeper Kyo- A fantasy story based in the early 1600's, as Tokugawa Ieyasu was preparing to hand the reins of power over to his successor. Generally speaking, this is a somewhat nonsensical action fantasy with good music and constant reuse of catchphrases. Saikano- Science fantasy where the protagonist's girlfriend gets turned into a living weapon. Generally tragic and full of despair. If this was a VN, it would be an utsuge. Witch Hunter Robin- Modern witch hunters hunt magically talented individuals who have crossed the line and earned the attention of a world-spanning organization that exists to suppress them and their powers. Generally a decent watch, but not the modern fantasy out there.

Chobits- Doesn't really need an intro, but this was easily the defining work for romance between an AI and a human in anime. Azumangah Daiou- Early form of moeblob that presaged the age of horror that was moeblob. .Hack//sign- Famous, classic, but hasn't aged well. Sci-fi that presaged the deluge of similar anime/manga/LNs in later years. Juuni Kokuki- Kami-anime. Seriously, if you like serious and crunchy fantasy story, you don't get better than this. However, that is if you can get past how long it takes the main protagonist to stand up and get over herself. Ai Yori Aoshi- To me, this is THE defining work for SOL rom-com. Unlike the earliest era stuff, it is still enjoyable to watch even today, and it came out before the decline of the more emotional rom-coms began. Tenchi Muyou GXP- It's Tenchi... if you like Tenchi, you'll like this. If you don't, you won't. Tokyo Underground- Moderate quality shounen fantasy in the same vein as Hunter X Hunter and Naruto. Tenshi no Konamaiki- Laughable concept, relatively fun to watch, never really completed. Pita-ten- Cute series that doesn't really have anything else to recommend to it, but it is cute.

Full metal Panic- Prototype for Grisaia's protagonist Yuuji drives mechs and saves a high school girl while being completely incapable of comprehending civilian life. Onegai Teacher- Ecchi romance story with sci-fi elements. Fairly good quality. Kanon Anime- Like all of the anime based off of the early Key VNs, it combines all the paths into this weird amalgamation of a story that somehow makes sense but has a lot of loose ends.

Hellsing- Does this need an intro? While it doesn't follow the contents of the original work, it is still fun to watch. Mahoromatic- Science-fantasy rom-com. Fairly good. Hikaru no Go- Mostly watchable for the tension even if you don't give a crap about the games.