What was the last anime series you completed watching??

[Hajimo]

The last entire series I completed watching? That would have to be The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I didn't like the ending. Walking home with an air conditioner. PLEASE!

[Levon]

I like this series too even though I originally saw the Teknoman (edited version) first. Was shocked when I found out that "Maggie" was actually a gay guy. :lol:


Teknoman version is one of the worse versions of anime I've seen. I'd rather watch a 4Kids anime, that's how horrible it is. Everything about it was bad but the thing that actually bugged me more than the script, acting or edits was the replaced poorly done corny music. Its Saturday morning cartoon music that sounds completely extreme where the music is way overpowering during non-eventful scenes. They do this so children don't get bored during the drama I guess.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkuBQER7trM#t=1m12s

Yes it is rad that he is beating the tar out of those monsters.

[Jayman]

Just finished Shigurui, quite dark and gory.
is there only the 12 episodes?? I feel it didn't finish properly.

For lack of better words.......that is the ending (which doesn't really end at all and just pretty much sucked).:mad:

[Hajimo]

For lack of better words.......that is the ending (which doesn't really end at all and just pretty much sucked).:mad:

LOL. Harui didn't end the story either. I was disappointed.

[Arnold]

Just completed Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid. The best of the three FMP series, and I think it benefits from dropping some of the comedy (which I admittedly liked) and playing up the serious military drama and relationship between Sousuke and Kaname in a more serious manner. I was getting tired of seeing Kaname be so abusive towards Sousuke, but she did seem to mellow out at times during this series (the haircut scene was a great moment).

[observer80]

Just completed Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid. The best of the three FMP series, and I think it benefits from dropping some of the comedy (which I admittedly liked) and playing up the serious military drama and relationship between Sousuke and Kaname in a more serious manner. I was getting tired of seeing Kaname be so abusive towards Sousuke, but she did seem to mellow out at times during this series (the haircut scene was a great moment).



I think second raid has more f bombs dropped in it than all the other anime's on my wall combined.


The main villain was like a Buffalo Bill homage. A real freak.

[ThePhillyFlash]

ARIA The Origination. The ending to this series was very moving and delightful.

[otakudes]

I think second raid has more f bombs dropped in it than all the other anime's on my wall combined.

That was unusual. I've never heard them bleep out the japanese soundtrack like that before.

[Arnold]

I think second raid has more f bombs dropped in it than all the other anime's on my wall combined.

Really? Maybe it was because I was watching the version on Hulu, but I never noticed that.

[Levon]

Soul Eater - Overall really like it, however I wish the focus was more on Medusa than Asura & Arachne. Medusa & her gang were more interesting. Not enough of Free which was disappointing.

Really? Maybe it was because I was watching the version on Hulu, but I never noticed that.

They edit anime? :huh: Well its mostly just Gauron & Gates that use the F word.

Cyber City Oedo 808 has the most F bombs in anime I've heard :lol: And Gundam the 08th MS Team has the most "Sh*t" I've heard in anime.

[Jayman]

Claymore - pretty good series overall and I liked it. The story was good and most of the characters were cool. Although the ending was very predictable I still thought it was good. I have not read the manga so I cannot tell the differences but I plan to read it sometime soon. The animation was very good and most of the music was good. The poor attempts at filling in some scenes with "eerie" music kind of sucked but the rest of it was pretty good. All in all I am glad I bought the series. 8/10

[observer80]

Really? Maybe it was because I was watching the version on Hulu, but I never noticed that.



They didn't bleep out the f bombs in Second Raid, but they did bleep the hell out of the rugby episode in Fumoffu where Sousuke Sagara goes R Lee Eremy on the pansy trainees, which had me laughing all the way through.

[DazarGaidin]

The last entire series I completed watching? That would have to be The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I didn't like the ending. Walking home with an air conditioner. PLEASE!

You watched the series in the wrong order. The last episode is actually the one where they kiss in the other world. For some retarded reason they decided to make three different series progressions depending on how you watched them. The original broadcast order was supposed to be the way to view them i believe.

[socal17]

i watched soul eater and the ending episodes were worth th wait :3

[Jayman]

Dennou Coil - I really enjoyed this anime. The ending was not quite what I was expecting but very good non the less. The storyline was very interesting and had some very cool concepts. The characters were neat, lovable, and fun to follow as the story progressed. The animation was very good as well. 7.5/10

[shikitsukai]

i think i recently finished kimi ni todoke

[vanton00]

Just finished Spiral good story along the way but disappointing ending <_< WHO ARE THE BLADE CHILDREN?

[Arnold]

Just finished Azumanga Daioh last night!

I don't know where I'd rank it right now, but it's certainly one of my favorite anime comedies and one that I'll go back to multiple times.

[ThePhillyFlash]

Watched the five episode Master of Martial Hearts OVA Friday night. Started out as a Ikki-Tousen clone with babes, boobs, battling, badassery and general clothes ripping silliness. Then came the fifth and final episode with a totally unexpected mind**** of a plot twist that turned the whole show on it's ear. Nothing much surprises me when it comes anime these days, but that climax sure did.

[MirKz]

Ouran High School Host Club

Thought it was quite funny. It was good the way they made this one. Looks like it's going one way, then it doesn't :)
Great characters, interesting shows, carefree and good fun.
Recommend it to anyone looking for some light hearted humour with a touch of 'elegance'.

[trunkschan90]

Finished watching Nobody's Boy Remi at Anime News Network.
They don't make classics like these anymore :thumbsup:

[Tonyx35]

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (OVA, 1991)
-I did feel a sense of excitement while watching this, waiting to see if our heroes would catch up and stop the man named Gato. The crewman of Albion were an interesting bunch and I liked the Captain.

As usual, some of the character names are funny imo. Chuck Keith and South Burning come to mind.
The character of Bernard Monsha entertained me. A fine pilot and he did one of the things in a Gundam series I had yet to see but always thought about. He used the camera on the mobile suit to, as they say, "Check her out". He reminds me of Kruz Weber, serious skill but likes the ladies to the extreme.

I see that "Operation Meteor" from Gundam Wing was nothing new for longtime Gundam fans.

The ending did confuse me a bit...

Kou was put on trial because he stole Gundam unit 3? All that stuff happened between Kou, Gato, and Nina in the last episode, yet Kou and Nina get back together at the end? She seemed really crazy about Gato, enough to want to shoot Kou.


It was worth watching but I'm still trying to decide if it's worth owning.

[Brill]

Spice and Wolf-was really an adorable story. Different, but entertaining. Simliar to Kino's Journey where it's a journey of two individuals (a peddler and a pagan god) as they peddle goods from city to city. There is a little romance, a little action, witty dialogue, plus a complex story on mercantile practices in medieval Europe. Whoever thought THAT material would make a good story, but it DID. Good stories do just that. The animation was average and the spanish guitar music was suitable, and he other elements were passable. If you're looking for great animation this show will be hit or miss, but if you're looking for something different snatch this title up.

[Jayman]

Strike Witches - a pretty good series but a little heavy on the fanservice. Fanservice aside though it was quite entertaining. The story was pretty interesting. The characters were cute and fun to watch and of course were not wearing any pants they whole time. The animation was good and the ending was quite good (I thought the final episode was one of the best). A little too much fanservice for my taste but a good series and I look forward to seeing the second series. 7/10

Darker Than Black Gaiden - not normally a big fan of prequels but this one wasn't bad. I was hoping it was going to answer a lot more questions than it did. The story helps to link season one with season two and fills in much of the gap between the two. I would like to see more of the rest of the story explained though and as anyone who has seen season one or two knows, there are a number of things that are left unexplained or leave you guessing. The characters are just Hei and Yin for the most part. The animation was very good. Not a bad special series over all but I was just hoping for and expected a little more. 7/10

[Alex Decay]

One Outs.
Such a sick Anime.
Toua easily became one of my favorite characters.

[foryouranime]

I finished up Casshern Sins! It was a great sci-fi series!

[DazarGaidin]

I liked casshern, a few spots it got boring, but i think it redeemed itself near the end.

For astro boyish looking characters, the fembots were kinda hot :D

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/DazarGaidin/casshern/th_sophita4.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/DazarGaidin/casshern/sophitaforum.jpg

[Alex Decay]

^Nice.
I just started watching it.
Terrible OP theme.

[Levon]

I should be getting the Blu-ray sets Saturday or Monday.

The OP is fine, but JAM Project would've been a better choice; SoulTaker (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAye_BilPwE), Mazinkaiser (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCWVMZoRHhY), Shin Mazinger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW8DvHWCM60), New Getter Robo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8bztTtddi0&feature=related), Kotetsushin Jeeg OP (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW_8OBlveAU), Ex-Driver (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v8z9sLiho0)
They rock! :headbang:

[KT Kore]

I love JAM Project, even though most of their songs sound the same. lol

[Levon]

I love JAM Project, even though most of their songs sound the same. lol

Thats because they usually do the same type of shows :P Scrapped Princess (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XItNPYbv9g) sounds a little different. But its got a few noticable JAM Project moments.

[Panko Z]

Vexille

can't say i liked it better than the Appleseed movies. while the action had some nice moments, it and the story lacked pungency. it took 3 separate viewings sessions to finish since i got too bored and had to stop. i loved the designs and futuristic concepts though. C+

[KT Kore]

Shin Kaitei Gunkan (OVA)
Pretty average OVA with some very good animation and some good action. The characters and story were nothing special. Had your basic "humanity is no good so we're going to destroy them all" type of storyline. Can't say I was bored while watching it, but nothing special at all. 7/10

[Ohiotaku]

Soul Eater

It's unique style managed to keep me entertained, but no real depth & didn't get attached to any of the characters. Also, one of the most ridiculously lame endings I have ever seen. Overall rating: 6/10.

[neiru_3]

Gantz
It was very good. The last 6 or so episodes..filler were not very good. The parts that followed the manga were very exciting. Initially I was not sure if I was going to like this. I'm not a big fan of fanservice, which this has tons of. But over looking that it was very good. The missions kept me at the edge of my seat. You never knew who was going to survive. Fun show. I'm going to read the manga to continue the story.

[doraemon]

Maria Watches Over Us-A very somber,enchanting show i fell in love with very quickly,pure character driven to the max,yeah its all abit girly but there is just something about the show and its cast thats draws you in and you end up really caring about what happens to them,and the music and animation was beautiful,a top class show which i,ll gladly re-watch in the near future,overall rating for me.9/10.

[Tamahome]

I loved this anime. The story was very very deep and emotional. I dunno if it's just me but almost everything about this show reminds me of Romeo & Juliet. In fact, I'll bet that's what the creator got the idea from. A lot of you may have already seen it but for those who haven't, I highly recommend it :D
5/5

[LOSTyears]

.hack//Sign
Strangely enough this capture my attention despite having basic knowledge of the workings coupled with limited interest, to put it awkwardly it was an interesting type of boring. Being dialogue heavy, low action and lethargically paced it was able to keep a consistent flow developing both cast and story(got better as it went). And really "the World" and characters as rich in depth as they were were not incredibly interesting, personally what was going on and going to happen pushed me through it allowing me to care more about the forces moving it. Its ability to keep that divide between game and reality through quick cuts/montages not only stoked the mysteries and who was sitting behind the avatars but allowed all the interpersonal and social issues to seethe through them. Overall it was not too difficult to comprehend and the turn of events and resolutions were plausible, all the long n' heavy moody expression/grumbling pauses won me over in the end. Another thing worth noting was the beautiful music, one of the best I've heard that fit so well with a show and its many scenes & scenario's.
This won't be for everyone even those into online gaming; pacing(especially), content and niche genre wise. To be honest it'll take 2-3 episodes maybe sooner for you to realize if its for you......... and surprisingly it worked for me. B

[doraemon]

Emma a victorian romance season 1-A beautiful series,the attention to detail is amazing and really captures the feel and look of the victorian era,storywise it is basically a good old fashioned romance,two people from the opposite side of the class system fall in love and have to deal with the backlash of there realtionship,but it is all done with such class and has a exellent cast of likeable characters,a beautiful,heart warming series,i cant wait to watch season 2 tonight.9/10

[doraemon]

Emma a victorian romance season 1-A beautiful series,the attention to detail is amazing and really captures the feel and look of the victorian era,storywise it is basically a good old fashioned romance,two people from the opposite side of the class system fall in love and have to deal with the backlash of there realtionship,but it is all done with such class and has a exellent cast of likeable characters,a beautiful,heart warming series,i cant wait to watch season 2 tonight.9/10

Well i just finished season 2 and all i can say is Emma a victorian romance is now officially one of my all time fave shows,there is really nothing to fault this show,its good to see shows like this getting released,there is only so much of all this so-called cool young hip anime i can take,most of which i think is rubbish,call me old fashioned,call me what you will but it is shows like Emma that for me hold my intrest in anime in general more so than most of todays shows that are aimed mostly at teenagers.

[Panko Z]

Well i just finished season 2 and all i can say is Emma a victorian romance is now officially one of my all time fave shows,there is really nothing to fault this show,its good to see shows like this gettng released,there is only so much of all this so-called cool young hip anime i can take,most of which i think is rubbish,call me old fashioned,call me what you will but it is shows like Emma that for me hold my intrest in anime in general more so that most of todays shows that are aimed mostly at teenagers.

yeah Emma was a surprisingly good show. i had bought it since i love a good romance story and it surpassed my expectations. plus i got to get my name in the special credits ^_^.

[Kurenai]

Code Geass

Havn't seen any good anime series with both look and soul for a while since Cowboy Bebop, I even devoted my man tear twice to it (first when Lulu killed Euphy, and then when Rolo killed Shirely)...9.3/10

[autsiticanime]

Baccano

A little confusing at first, but a brilliant story and good characters makes this one of the best series I've ever seen. 9/10.

[KT Kore]

Code Geass

Havn't seen any good anime series with both look and soul for a while since Cowboy Bebop, I even devoted my man tear twice to it (first when Lulu killed Euphy, and then when Rolo killed Shirely)...9.3/10

Spoilers much? Yeesh.

[Levon]

Finished Princess Tutu today. Really amazing show, very unique. I wish I watched it years ago when it came out but I wasn't sure about the whole ballet aspect, however its great. Sorta reminds me of Utena because both are weird with duals, only Princess Tutu isn't as dark & with more heart.
Everything about it was great; the story, characters, music, drama, comedy, animation & English dub. A+

[Alex Decay]

Casshern Sins.
Very boring, almost a waste of time.
I liked the whole 'Sun called Moon' thing, and I dig the concept of 'Ruin,' but yeah, total letdown.

[Panko Z]

Evangelion: You Are (Not) Alone

not much to say other than good, provided a nice condensed version of the series and a solid intro for the rest. A

[Tonyx35]

Martian Successor Nadesico (TV, 1996)
- It was a fun journey, but the ending definitely felt rushed. I like it more than Vandread. The character designer for Gatekeepers worked on this.

Yurika was a forgettable character but the supporting cast made up for it. The Astevalis units are ok, and sometimes the way they moved reminded me of early Knightmare Frames in Code Geass. The Nadesico seems like a good battleship for defense but not so great for attacking.

The Show within a show thing worked for me and the "Science Lessons" by Ms Inez were fun.

[Tom Servo]

Finished rewatching Gasaraki today. It's still one of my favourites despite its flaws. I just love how nerdy it is.

Yurika was a forgettable character but the supporting cast made up for it.
Yeah, it was a couple of episodes until I worked out Yurika was supposed to be a main character. :P

[neiru_3]

Spice and Wolf Season 1
I liked the main characters relationship it was quite cute. I liked Lawrence he has a very good nature. It started off very dull for me. I guess economics/peddling is not my favorite subject. But as the series went on it got better. I liked the last 2 episodes the most.

[Alex Decay]

Banner of the Stars.
Very...Bland show.

[Arnold]

Finished Witchblade.

What the hell? Great show for the first 20 something episodes, and then finished off with a crap anticlimactic ending.

The main villain, Maria, just did nothing in the end, getting killed off way too easily, another character, a badass neogene recruit whose name I don't remember right now, is built up for a couple of episodes and then killed of like that, and worst of all is Masane's death.

Of course that's not a surprise, since the show's been telling us that she's dying for the last few eipsodes, but when you say, "she's going to die, she's going to die, she's going to die," you'd better give us something more at the end other than "she's dead". Make her death mean something, or add a twist, or whatever, just don't have her explode into a ball of ligth and dust and then just roll the credits.

(And yes I saw the tag scene at the end with the seashell from the beach episode. Doesn't change a thing.)

Seriously, Gonzo. Great series, but you dropped the ball on the ending.

[DazarGaidin]

Yeah, that ending was terrible and anticlimatic. The biggest fail non-fight i ever seen. What a let down after they keep you waiting and waiting for that showdown.

[Levon]

Witchblade ending: Lame.

Banner of the Stars.
Very...Bland show.

Yes it is, I loved Crest of the Stars. It was more of an adventure. But Banner of the Stars tells the story about the slowest & most unexciting war battle in space.

[DazarGaidin]

Don't they go back to that some in the last one? I remember those two going off on their own again later but i might be wrong.

[Levon]

I haven't seen the third, its only 2 episodes and the Banner series was never about character development & adventure like Crest of the Stars. I liked Banner of the Stars II more part I because it doesn't take place excursively in space this time.
I just never cared for the politics of the Banner series. Crest of the Stars was much more about the characters.

[DazarGaidin]

Maybe i was thinking about banner II, it has been a long time :lol:

[trunkschan90]

Kikaider series, ova and the special

I liked the series the first time I saw it on Adult Swim and I still like it, the OVA seemed too short, but dang the ending was disturbing because of what Jiro/Kikaider did.

I finally saw the Kikaider vs Inazuman special, too bad they didn't dub it, but at least we had some closure for Jiro.

[Arnold]

Just finished Baccano!

One of the most endlessly fascinating and original shows I've seen in some time. Pity it was only 16 episodes, including the OVAs. A second season would be MOST welcome, especially more Isaac and Miria. I love how their utterly outrageous goofiness contrasts with some of the shocking, blood-splattering violence of the rest of the show.

And goddamn, that OP is great.

[DazarGaidin]

^Have you seen durarara!!? :D

[Levon]

Red Garden - I really liked the character interactions, the dialog was very realistic, it even had overlapping dialog which is rare in anime. The dub was outstanding, one of the best. The unique animation/art style with the film noise was really nice. Clearly with both the dialog & animation they were going for a film like quality and I really dug that. New York setting was neat.

However the show failed for me when it came to the overall main story. Each character has a side story which is good but when it came to the main story it just didn't make much sense, it never fully made the whole curse thing & those stupid books importance clear to me or how either side could fix the problem. These girls had to fight and no guns are ever used in the show expect for one time, this would be fine if it took place in Japan but this takes place in America. How were weapons like guns so absent with so much fighting? The bad group used a rifle against the cops once but whenever they'd fight otherwise they'd use their hands or a metal baton. If your really at war against each other use guns and that would end things really fast.
When there was combat it was very silly. At some points you have an old women doing martial arts against men using all four legs like dogs. Weird.

Casshern Sins - Eh, it was decent. There's nothing really to say about it :lol: Probably not something I'd watch again.

[AceOtaku]

Angel Beats, Pandora Hearts and Buso Renkin. ^_^ All of them have team work between group members, romance, perfect original OST and other essence for the anime to succeed in my anime list.

[DazarGaidin]

I thought that in Red Garden they had some sort of rules they had to abide by, but i might have just fabricated that in my mind to explain that plot hole :lol:

But i guess not cause in the ova they get a friggin mecha :P (that was definitely a big lipped alligator episode (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BigLippedAlligatorMoment))

[Levon]

I thought that in Red Garden they had some sort of rules they had to abide by, but i might have just fabricated that in my mind to explain that plot hole :lol:

But i guess not cause in the ova they get a friggin mecha :P (that was definitely a big lipped alligator episode (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BigLippedAlligatorMoment))

I don't remember but maybe your right.

I'll be watching the OVA soon, it looks fun. :lol:

[Arnold]

^Have you seen durarara!!? :D

I did, and for some reason I didn't get into it as much; I didn't feel that the characters were as dynamic or interesting.

[DazarGaidin]

Did you notice Isaac and miria? :D Of all the people to be immortal... :lol:

[goddessofanime]

When They Cry


Weird f**king show....but the ending?

Sooooo....it tied back to the first arc right? Maebara figured it out when he got flashbacks of Mion and Rena trying to kill him, but did Rena figured it out?

Also...ending was a little too Lifetime for me; Rena just tried to kill everyone and go all Columbine; and everything's all hunky dory?

Great series though.

My favorite arc was the two twins going all batsh*t on each other

[Arnold]

Did you notice Isaac and miria? :D Of all the people to be immortal... :lol:

Well, I saw Durarara first, but I'll keep an eye out if I watch it again!

[goddessofanime]

I never knew that the Japanese seiyuu (Masaya Ican'tspellhislastname) for Isaac is the same guy that voices France in Hetalia and Shinji in Bleach

[Panko Z]

Lucky Star

Toss my name into the "i liked it" camp. the comparison to Seinfeld was surprisingly accurate, with both shows being just about simple observations and interactions. Not exactly laugh out loud material, but the small chuckles add up. i really liked the classic theme songs karaoke for the endings, so many nostalgia moments (especially DBZ). i was very disappointed when Minoru took the stage in the 2nd half. and it was a cool coincidence when they played the Fist of the North Star theme during the ova's ending credits and i happen to be currently watching that series so i was like "hell yeah!"

B+ for both tv + ova

Red Garden - I really liked the character interactions, the dialog was very realistic, it even had overlapping dialog which is rare in anime. The dub was outstanding, one of the best. The unique animation/art style with the film noise was really nice. Clearly with both the dialog & animation they were going for a film like quality and I really dug that. New York setting was neat.

However the show failed for me when it came to the overall main story. Each character has a side story which is good but when it came to the main story it just didn't make much sense, it never fully made the whole curse thing & those stupid books importance clear to me or how either side could fix the problem. These girls had to fight and no guns are ever used in the show expect for one time, this would be fine if it took place in Japan but this takes place in America. How were weapons like guns so absent with so much fighting? The bad group used a rifle against the cops once but whenever they'd fight otherwise they'd use their hands or a metal baton. If your really at war against each other use guns and that would end things really fast.
When there was combat it was very silly. At some points you have an old women doing martial arts against men using all four legs like dogs. Weird.

I thought that in Red Garden they had some sort of rules they had to abide by, but i might have just fabricated that in my mind to explain that plot hole :lol:

But i guess not cause in the ova they get a friggin mecha :P (that was definitely a big lipped alligator episode (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BigLippedAlligatorMoment))

Red Garden is one of my top faves! iirc, the 2 books each contained a curse that was cast upon the opposite group. together they would form a countercurse that would save whichever side got them both and seal the doom for the other. basically neither side could back down and there would be no peaceful compromise since 1 of them had to take the fall.

as for the guns, either it's because they were girls who just weren't used to guns and didn't know/want to use them, or they had to physically fight in order to maintain their will to live so they wouldn't die completely. shooting a gun would save their lives, but it isn't exactly a challenge that was going to give them courage/motivation to keep going. also, hand to hand combat is always more fun than simple gun fights.

the ova was a complete mess but i wouldn't consider it a BLAM since it takes place in the far future so having a mech is a logical possibility.

[Nimbus]

I think it was Angel Beats!

[Tom Servo]

Yes it is, I loved Crest of the Stars. It was more of an adventure. But Banner of the Stars tells the story about the slowest & most unexciting war battle in space.
Did you notice how in the episode previews Jinto would always say something like "next time there will be a battle!" but it never actually happens?

It's still one of my favourite shows. ^_^

[Tonyx35]

Brain Powered (TV, 1998)
- 2nd time I've watched this Anime all the way to the end, and it still feels like the story didn't really go anywhere. Both sides just flexed their battle strength around. The ending of the series has me scratching my head. Minimal to no resolution at all. Some of the combat sequences were interesting but the music is the only thing that really stood out for me. It had an interesting setup but bad execution.

[Alex Decay]

Kuroshitsuji.
6.2/10.

[KT Kore]

Brain Powered (TV, 1998)
- 2nd time I've watched this Anime all the way to the end, and it still feels like the story didn't really go anywhere. Both sides just flexed their battle strength around. The ending of the series has me scratching my head. Minimal to no resolution at all. Some of the combat sequences were interesting but the music is the only thing that really stood out for me. It had an interesting setup but bad execution.

Wow, you watched it twice. You are either crazy or very manly.

[Tonyx35]

Wow, you watched it twice. You are either crazy or very manly.

I would have to go with crazy. I was hoping this was one of those series that gets better with a second viewing but I was very wrong.

[El Maestro]

I just finished Death Note. It's time to find another series!

[RayearthIX]

just finished My Bride is a Mermaid, Corpse Princess is next.

[DazzleKitty]

Brighter Than the Dawning Blue

Probably one of the most enjoyable anime I have watched by myself at home recently. It was worth my while.

[RayearthIX]

Shikabane Hime has been defeated! woot!

[superplough]

I just saw the last episode of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Good series, although it would have been nice to see Ash actually win the League for once.

I hope Best Wishes is as good. I'm gonna miss Dawn. :(

[Comrade Garone]

Higurashi series

[Alex Decay]

I just finished Death Note. It's time to find another series!

Sickest Anime ever, right?
Right.

[Polena]

B gata h kei - it was so fun to watch with all those ecchi gags running all the time

[LOSTyears]

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru (UraBoku)
Initially/shallowly started over the pleasing aesthetics but was eventually shocked how well it turned out. This bishi-ridden fantasy/drama/adventure crafted with themes in magic and reincarnation gave an enthralling story and equally riveting often vicious action(especially in team conflict) with music to match. Not too much background/foundation was divulged but it excelled with enough emotional development in both plots and character bonds for you to care about and feel the importance of the events happening. Only downsides I can point out is the atmosphere comes off real moody and brooding, it starts off pretty slow too. It does deliver on its premise and while sporting a hot cast that's like an added bonus any more of this would be welcomed. B+

[neiru_3]

I finished WitchBlade today. It was ok. The start was bad and it got better in the middle and regressed again toward the end. I can over look fanservice which this had plenty of. But something about the series bothered me..it just felt like I've seen this before time and again. There are certain themes that replay so often in animes these days that they just seem almost identical to each other.

[Alex Decay]

Sasameki Koto.
The girls had the most realistic tits I've ever seen in Anime.
6.4/10

[DazzleKitty]

Sentimental Journey

Definitely not a bad series at all. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It's definitely one of those anime that tends to fly under the radar since it's not a big name title and didn't see a lot of promotion when released.

[LOSTyears]

Heroman
Energized action/scifi/mecha with your textbook boy w/(semi)giant robot, was it entertaining.........bet your *** it was. Fully loaded with brainless plots(and characters), inexplicable and convenient happenings(and characters), and cliches swirling in, out and around a by the numbers alien invasion with everything dressed in obligatory American colors. Fortunately the charged up action and thrills do manage to make it worth the task. Its electric start only trumped by its cheesy epic finish were perhaps its best parts.
Obvious faults aside about halfway through I stopped caring about em and taking the cast too seriously because ultimately the driving force that kept me engaged was Heroman itself and the idea. Yes the robot very much resembled that of a tricked out pumped up michelin man, with a modern yet nostalgic feel and although it never spoke it wielded this unexplainable charisma. And the idea behind a toy being struck *cough* ^inexplicable and conviently by lightning thus becoming Heroman forcing said boy onto the path and trials of heroism is not only vintage Stan Lee stamped but was something to tickle that boyish imagination ^_^ at least for some of us.
Whether any of this sounds interesting or not there's still a good chance you could enjoy it. Generous C




9/24/10
Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!
Not the best shonen but one of the more eccentrically enjoyable ones that I picked up on whim. Good chunk was filler of its odd offbeat humor often used for developing perhaps its biggest draw the characters. Despite having your typically textbook weak protagonist what highlights him and the show is a big colorfully assorted likable cast(family) and arguably more colorful antagonist where everyone gets their moments and one or more is bound to be your favorite, the volatile chemistry between them works well particularly in Tsuna/Reborn's case. Another plus was its cool battle elements backed by an interesting background both surprisingly extensive, no seriously very imaginatively lighthearted take on the mafioso. Formula is the one big downside as what usually befalls this genre when there is story it falls under the crisis/trial+big boss to the T. Still entertaining yet a lot of it gets really tedious and long drawn out which goes especially for the amazingly blah future arc, on the up side to that final arc it does show a lot of potential of where, when and how it could go. Before you even get to any of the juicy stuff there's truck loads of filler on top of that this is infamous for beginning recaps and end episode specials(some are fun) so unless your digging any of it it'll either be tough or you simply won't get through it. If you do however your in for a neat little(203 eps.) shonen journey with its ups and downs but one of the most amusing and fascinating cast, elements and back story to boost you along. C+

Side Note; just personal favorites for fans who are curious.
Characters: Hibari, Yamamoto, Reborn, Lambo(funniest little oddball), Mikuro(favorite villian & rouge comrade. This guy was cool, slick, and vicious with a sick power set someone you wouldn't believe Tsuna could beat in a million years.........................ok you felt that way with everyone he faced)
Arc: Kokuyo Arc, mainly cause of Mikuro but this was the sharp turning point of the series where things got progressively awesome.

[drgenestarwind]

HSOTD: okay, lots of foobies
Ookami-san: liked it for the setting and characters
Kuroshitsuji II: didn't like the ending, but everything else about this (and the first series) was good
Soul Eater: for being so overtly shounen this was a good series, haven't read the comic but i might check it out

[LOSTyears]

^I wanna finish Kuroshitsuji II so bad, my preferred group is taking its sweet time.

Giant Killing
One of the more exhilarating sports(soccer) anime to come out over the seasons, not entirely original nor unpredictable in its underdog fashion but completely fresh in perspective and on/off field action. Highlighting the psyche of game action, inner workings & planning of the sidelines and also a view of the brazenly unique fan base all the while keeping the joy and energy flowing through the events and games happening. There's also a fair amount of light off-beat humor as if its cooling itself down and enough shining moments to get you stoked up again and even take your breathe away. Also helped that the motley crew of a soccer team was very interesting all the way up to its eccentrically charismatic coach. Could have easily been longer to showcase their season but your not left feeling jilted in fact it got to achieve and punctuate its name, Giant Killing.
Of course you'd probably have to be a fan of the sport or genre to get caught up into it but I was only a fan of one of those and it was enough for me. Solid A

[Thousand Eyes]

Cross Game - Outstanding series from Mitsuru Adachi, the same creator of Touch. I thought while it certainly retained some similar traits from Touch, there was enough of a difference to enjoy it on a separate level. I absolutely loved the emotional tensions, realism in struggling and the flashbacks. This is also an Anime with a bright cast of likable characters. Although I didn't particularly like how it ended, the slice-of-life feel and development still circulates in my mind. I wish the series was longer.

[Alex Decay]

Bubblegum Crisis.
7.2/10

[Alex Decay]

Agent Aika
5/10

[Alex Decay]

Koihime Muso
6.1/10

[Tonyx35]

Seitokai Yakuindomo (TV, 2010)
- This series had no shame when it came to its use of sex related (verbal and visual) jokes.:lol: It was a nice reversal to see the female characters be the perverts and the male character be was the grounded one. You had the perverts, short girl, athletic, stalker, maid, and that one girl who was afraid of guys.

Notice my current avatar, I was shocked when I saw that image the first time but, then I just started laughing at how crazy it was. I've actually ran out of the "house" with bread/sandwich in my mouth. I never knew it was an Anime/Japanese thing.:P I had to make an adjustment while watching the show. No eating/drinking because I'd end up spitting it out or coughing during some of the gags. The first time the "custom" Bear appeared onscreen was one of those times.

The last episode was very "meh" and I'd be quite surprised if this ever gets a second season. If you disregard the last episode, I thought it was an entertaining School comedy/fanservice title.

[LOSTyears]

Kuroshitsuji II
In half the time I think this managed to class its predecessor, less tedium cause of the length. Following up on what seemed to be an ambiguously resolved first series plot weaving an insidiously juicy new web into it. Anteing up a tantalizing fresh group of antagonist matching our leads fortitude and wits as well as nearly trumping their dark elegant allure, this was the biggest plus this sequel offered up and perhaps the spice that the previous was lacking in. To polish it off somewhat confusing but cleverly crafted plot devices whipped up a rather bizarre twisted finish to be mulled over. Other than a few very dull first half episodes this was a worthy addition and treat for fans, even non-fans could get a spark to pick up the first. Think this is the first time a sequel has made me reevaluate putting a series into my favorites. A-

[Zer0xW1nd]

Just finished watching ZZ Gundam in it's entirety, even though it starts off a bit goofy, this gradually makes more sense throughout and adds to character development, I thought it was great and I loved it, contrary to most people who tend not to be as enthusiastic towards it in general.

[loplop]

Asobi ni Iku yo! - Not the wall to wall fan service I was expecting. If fact it was good enough for me to start reading the manga.

[DazzleKitty]

Lovely Idol

I REALLY enjoyed this one overall. Watching it was kind awkward because the copy I have on dvd (yes, it's not an authentic copy, sorry guys) wasn't well translated. But the storyline was still followable.
It kinda gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. Very sweet without overdoing it. The music is pretty catchy as well. The animation and art style is gorgeous.

[magicalgirlj]

Kuroshituji 2, waaaa I hope they make a third season

[Alex Decay]

Neo Ranga
7/10

[LadyWhiteWolf]

Ghost in The Shell: Stand Alone Complex- 2nd Gig

8 out of 10

[xLadyLunax]

Just finished Fruits Basket. I have to say I really enjoyed this anime, although a bit disappointed to find out there could have been more.. but it's an excuse to read the manga now!

[LOSTyears]

Rainbow - Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin
One of the most impactful deep cutting drama's I've seen in a while; simple design often bordering on emotionally cheesy and manipulative but highly effective. Driven by passionate, resourceful and very engaging young men supported by a potent side cast of friends and fiends alike. Plots and hardships are built up with great moving tension weaving through the lively experiences of these characters lives in a very volatile time and place. Not all is entirely doom n' gloom a good lot of the break down ranges from bitter sweet, heartfelt or both. Is manly-tear inducing with the themes of comradery and brotherhood packed on like a thick mascara. On initial release I was really looking forward to this expecting some gushy macho epic *pounding chest* drama and instead I got something more simple yet bluntly tough that worked. I'd recommend to any into drama though there are moments jarring and not for the faint of heart so do approach with the subtly of a clinched fist. B


10/1/10

My Daddy Long Legs
Suppose this is what a shoujo drama is like when classic storytelling and heart are in the place of frills and bubble gum. Believe this is the first of the World Masterpiece Theater works I've viewed and now for certain not the last, if that's what I can expect I can certainly see why its lauded in some circles. What this really shines at is developing its character(s); through experience and struggles both harsh n' subtle Judy's growth is handled with great care all the while stewing an emotional tale encompassing issues of social status, personal insecurities, age gap romance and also plays period piece. With all those issues going at full steam and bloom with teenage girls it was actually quite surprising how earnest it could be without being overly cheesy. Slightly dated and aside from the story taking time to pick up the only other fault I could dig up is that its predictable dramatically even for those not familiar with the source work you could figure "it" out probably half way through but that's really forgivable cause it still manages to charm and be a worth while treat to watch unfold, besides the utterly likable energetic lead demands your attention.
Anyone into solid storytelling of the drama/romance/slice variety, WMT or looking to hop into one can easily get into this, if your really into any of those I'd dare say its a definitive watch. B

[DazarGaidin]

Occult Academy: Very strange anime, i guess that isnt surprising given its title. I enjoyed the character interaction between maya and bunmei more than anything else in the show. I think the last few eps were ..a little too far fetched even for this anime, and the slutty magic girl thing was just bizarre and out of left field. The ending was ok, but i was kinda disappointed. They tried to do something clever but it came off rather cheesy and full of holes big enough to drive a truck through. How come the people in the bunker weren't immediately affected? For that matter why did they continue to even exist. If history was changed they wouldn't need to be a bunker or anything so they wouldn't be there.

Poor Maya, she clearly fell for bunmei and now she has to see him grow up. Chris Hansen better keep an eye out :P

[goddessofanime]

Finished Gankutsou: The Count of Monte Cristo.

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME series.....one of the best I've seen...

though I was a teeny tiny disappointed that Albert didn't reunite with Eugenie!

[Levon]

Shikabane Hime - Uh, did I miss something? Where the hell is the ending?

[DazarGaidin]

There was two seasons did you snag both?

Finished Gankutsou: The Count of Monte Cristo.

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME series.....one of the best I've seen...

though I was a teeny tiny disappointed that Albert didn't reunite with Eugenie!

I thought it was implied that they would though....its been a while. I remember that i had the feeling they were a couple.

[Levon]

There was two seasons did you snag both?

Yes, I watched it all.

I guess we just have to assume Makina beat Hokuto to death with her hands but that seems hard to believe since Hokuto is so powerful.

The creators could easily make a 3rd season if they wanted. I believe the manga is still ongoing so maybe they're waiting for more manga to be released before they work on another season. ??

[DazarGaidin]

Yeah i got the impression they were setting up for another season. I don't remember thinking the ending was so horribly inconclusive, like some things were resolved but they left some things for more if they wanted. Maybe i will rewatch it soon.

[Bolo]

Been out of the anime loop for about 3 years, but found out about a series called Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple this year and was the first series I finished watching in a looooooong time.

[DazzleKitty]

Aoi Hana

I felt kinda cheated. I was wanting a good yuri anime and while the anime was pretty interesting, it wasn't as I thought. I've heard a lot of yuri fans praising it and while there is some lesbianism in it, the ending just left me feeling kind of empty and seeking more. I was under the impression to the two main characters ended up together but I was very wrong. The show had a very open end. Guess that's not a bad thing but the ending made me feel kinda sad.

[Lynx]

Haibane Renmei... for the 9th time.


Aoi Hana

I felt kinda cheated. I was wanting a good yuri anime and while the anime was pretty interesting, it wasn't as I thought. I've heard a lot of yuri fans praising it and while there is some lesbianism in it, the ending just left me feeling kind of empty and seeking more. I was under the impression to the two main characters ended up together but I was very wrong. The show had a very open end. Guess that's not a bad thing but the ending made me feel kinda sad.

I hear ya. Personally I loved Aoi Hana but it could've used either a better ending or another season. I'm hoping for another season.

[YuriFanboy]

Just finished the following today:

Toradora - I absolutely loved this show. I think it made my top ten favorite anime list easily. Taiga is easily the best and most fleshed out tsundere character that I have ever seen.

Mitsudomoe - I thought about dropping this one after the absolutely horrible episode 2, but I decided to stick with it. I'm glad I did. That episode was easily the worst in the series. It got a lot better after that. It turned out to be a fun show. My favorite character started out being Hitoha, but Mitsuba won me over by the end.

[neiru_3]

Last Exile
It was pretty good especially the middle to late episodes. The ending seemed a little rushed. I enjoyed it, but not a series that I found special.

[Arnold]

Wrapped up two series this weekend:

1) Witch Hunter Robin - good show. I really liked a lot of the characters, especially Robin (who can be a rather odd duck) and Doujima, who has this great "everywoman" perspective on the whole thing. And I enjoyed the way the plot turned out. Overall a good series.

2) Ah My Goddess - finished the first season, at any rate. And wow, this was fun! There wasn't a scene in this series that didn't either charm the pants off me or make me giggle with glee. Though I expected as much; I really enjoyed the OVAs and what I read of the manga. Took a while to get used to the dub, though, as I've been so accustomed to the Coastal Carolina Studios dub of the OVA. Now I need to get Flights of Fancy!

[DazzleKitty]

Maria Watches Over Us season 4

Very good season! I really hope a season 5 is coming up.

[gameoffreak8]

Tetsuwan Birdy Decode

I really enjoyed it so far. The animation was crisp and smooth, and the various fights and chases are extremely fluid. The story was very interesting and surprisingly good. The sound was big plus for this series. I think the first season should have more character developments, but I guess that second season will have few interesting developments for the main characters, and I actually want to learn about Birdy’s past. Overall, it was enjoyable and entertaining series. I am looking forward to the OVA and the second season this week. If you want a strong female lead, then this series is for you. 9/10

[DazarGaidin]

Enjoy season's 1 animation while you can. While you get lots of devel for birdy in season 2, the animation about halfway thru is drawn by 5 year children that the studio brought in for parents day or something.

[gameoffreak8]

Enjoy season's 1 animation while you can. While you get lots of devel for birdy in season 2, the animation about halfway thru is drawn by 5 year children that the studio brought in for parents day or something.

Oh, I am aware about that, but isn't episode 7 only have bad quality? I heard the company did fixed these terrible quality for DVD version, though.

[Alex Decay]

Basquash!
7.9/10

[YuriFanboy]

Strike Witches Season 2 -It's pretty much exactly what I expected. I loved the first season, and this season was awesome too. I think what makes this series for me is the characters. I absolutely love all of them. I will be picking this up when Funimation releases it on DVD for sure!

Oh, I am aware about that, but isn't episode 7 only have bad quality? I heard the company did fixed these terrible quality for DVD version, though.
Can anyone confirm this? I'm thinking about buying this show, but I'm on the fence since I heard the animation in season 2 is awful. If they fixed the animation for the DVD releases, I'm much more interested in buying it.

[Levon]

Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne - Really great story. Once you get past the weird perverted sex violence aspect. Almost felt like I was watching hentai at times. The story is very interesting however. Not crazy about the ending but its fine.

My Bride is a Mermaid - Hilarious! :lol: So wacky insane, I love it. I hope FUNi releases the OVA.


Strike Witches Season 2 -It's pretty much exactly what I expected. I loved the first season, and this season was awesome too. I think what makes this series for me is the characters. I absolutely love all of them. I will be picking this up when Funimation releases it on DVD for sure!

Can anyone confirm this? I'm thinking about buying this show, but I'm on the fence since I heard the animation in season 2 is awful. If they fixed the animation for the DVD releases, I'm much more interested in buying it.

It seems common these days to fix & improve the animation on the DVD/BR release. Even Strike Witches, a lot of changes. No idea about Birdy however.


The first time I noticed this was in 2004 with Gundam SEED Destiny. For example the Akatsuki is a sparkle gold, yet in many scenes on the TV release they simply made it yellow which looked really cheap.
http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/5764/destiny452034.jpg

[Arnold]

Magic Knight Rayearth season 1, what a nice twist at the end. So Emeraude actually summoned them to Cephiro to actually -kill- her rather than save her, because she was abandoning the well being of her world for her own love for Zagato... Zagato himself turned out more to be misunderstood and in love rather than just a 2 dimensional villain. Wonder how they follow this up in the second season...

[Hobasoba]

Maria watches over us 4th season.
I hope they make a 5th series. :j

[DazarGaidin]

They would have to redo those scenes, but maybe they did. I mean, its not just a coloring or bluriness issue, the frame rates drop to nill, and the characters themselves become amorpheus blobs and at one point flashes of light in a not so 'cool dbz' way.

Click for examples of ep 12 from tv airing, dont worry there is no spoilers (and if there was you probably wouldnt be able to make them out :lol:)


http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/DazarGaidin/birdy/crapbirdy4.gif
Birdy or a thumb print smudge? You make the call :-P
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/DazarGaidin/birdy/crapbirdy3.gif
Cheap flash game background. The left side is just a fill color lol Her arm wasn't broken here as far as i know?
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/DazarGaidin/birdy/crapbirdy2.gif
Look at those rocks, its like something from a cheap flash game. Also, that person has completely different color hair...
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/DazarGaidin/birdy/crapBirdy1.gif
This is supposed to be Birdy's signature sparkling sprint thing. Which was awesome in season 1.


It seems like im just catching 'tween' frames but they are normal key frames

[YuriFanboy]

^ Wow, those look awful. Absolutely awful. I wasn't sure before, but I'm definitely going to have to get confirmation that the animation got a serious upgrade before I even consider buying the show.

[DazarGaidin]

It sucks too cause that fight could have been so epic. Birdy is a friggin beast.

Birdy 1 had a very simple style, but it looked awesome. More like an efficient sort of smooth/flowy animation (compare to say, witchblade, whose protag wears about as much clothing :lol:). This was just blantant cost cutting.

It is worth a rent just for birdy's story. Owning it..hmmm probably wouldn't be on my shelf.

[Alex Decay]

Strait Jacket.
8/10.

[Panko Z]

Strait Jacket.
8/10.

it had some great concepts going, i wish there could've been more.

[Alex Decay]

Battle Programmer Shirase.
7/10.

it had some great concepts going, i wish there could've been more.

Agreed, I like the whole atonement theme.

[Arnold]

Just finished Hell Girl today. Good show, I liked the reporter guy and his daughter.

THough I'm still a little unsure as to why the little girl was having the Hell Girl "visions".

Can't wait for season 2...

[drgenestarwind]

Mahoromatic S2: really, all super dramatic and than an anti-climax

Bakemonogatari: Great, I love the storytelling and the characters, wish it were longer

[DazzleKitty]

Chu Bra. Really enjoyed it.

Thought the ending might be rather sad/bittersweet at first, then it really surprised me!

[autsiticanime]

Fushigi Yugi (TV series)

Ok, I know there are OVA's after this, but just the tv series itself counts as finishing...right?

(minor spoilers)
Anyway, decent series despite Miaka's faults, and the fact things went a little one sided for Nakago near the end.

[tigeress02]

Toward the Terra (TV): While the movie version was good, I like the TV series much, much more. The pacing of the movie seemed a bit rushed to me. The longer format of a TV series gave it the time it needed for the story and characters to be fleshed out better. It's a shame that Bandai didn't dub this series.

Boogiepop Phantom: Not bad, but definitely not my cup of tea. I never really had a good grasp on where the story was going and frankly I don't think I care enough to figure it out.

[Red Dot]

I finished School Rumble 2nd Semester and was a little dissapointed in the open ending. I think it was supposed to be artistic, allowing you to fantasize what you will. But I still would prefer some closure.

[DazarGaidin]

^Was that the ovas? It ended with some ova's, which sucked worse than the series by far :(

[Levon]

^Was that the ovas? It ended with some ova's, which sucked worse than the series by far :(

That OVA hasn't been released in the US. Hope FUNi does but it doesn't look like its gonna happen, I haven't seen it. When they released Extra Class OVA they should have included the final OVA with it.

[DazarGaidin]

It was terrible and made no sense, i suggest you rent it first.

[Daishikaze]

Ushio And Tora
Battle Angel
King Of Braves Gaogaigar & FINAL

[Panko Z]

Ramen Fighter Miki

very good. lots of energy and hilarity. biggest downside is things got repetitive quickly, especially the fighting aspect which got a little annoying with the sameness. despite that, i could go for a second season. B+

and the "voice actor battle" was an awesome extra. more shows should have something similar.

[Red Dot]

I didn't realise there was an OVA after Extra Class. That new box set Funi came out with has season 1-2 and Extra Class. I almost bought it assuming it complete. Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to see about watching all of the OVAs. I hope it is a better ending.

[LOSTyears]

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water
This is how an original classic gets spun into a unique thrilling epic. One helluva adventure of engrossing plots and twist weaved with mature themes and big mysteries wrapped in bigger suspense orchestrated by a memorably enigmatic and exciting cast of unlikely heroic leads and methodical villains...................up until a certain point ^_^ where I'm guessing they were going for a lighthearted/slice/slap stick development run that spewed out an excessive string of episodes that ranged from bad to downright embarrassing, if that was what they were after as a break from the action which honestly was not entirely necessary since from the beginning to that point where even the mundane episodes never ceased to be interesting then it could have been much shorter and uhm better. Unfortunately this slow bled the steam away but thanks to the series amazing volatility in one swoop takes flight again in an instant for the final stretch into one grand finale to remember.
A too bad A- and I would love to give this a higher mark but that chunk of mediocre was too large to dismiss, turned something exceptional into just great which is still saying a lot to its credit.

[DazarGaidin]

I didn't realise there was an OVA after Extra Class. That new box set Funi came out with has season 1-2 and Extra Class. I almost bought it assuming it complete. Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to see about watching all of the OVAs. I hope it is a better ending.

Sorry to disappoint you but its worse.

[Red Dot]

That's pretty dissapointing, who likes an unfinished story? There's somthing hateful about leaving it to the imagination. I'm watching anime so I don't have to exercise that gear. Well... at least for the majority of the time. Sometimes you have to use it just to understand certain shows heh I wonder how much the manga differs.

[Mickeymac92]

Gundam 00

I've never heard a Gundam dub this bad before, but somehow I managed to pull through to the end.

[Levon]

Gundam 00

I've never heard a Gundam dub this bad before, but somehow I managed to pull through to the end.

I liked the dub, its much better than the SEED dub Ocean did. Ocean has really improved releasing some great dubs these past few years.
Most would say G Gundam had the worse dub. But I found the poor campy quality of it part of the charm :lol:

Last I completed was Sakura Wars TV. It was decent, would prefer to play the original game series.

[KT Kore]

if that was what they were after as a break from the action which honestly was not entirely necessary since from the beginning to that point where even the mundane episodes never ceased to be interesting then it could have been much shorter and uhm better.

The show was kinda popular back then so Gainax decided to shoehorn some filler episodes in the middle of the series to extend it even though the original crew had finished developing all of the core episodes. Shame they didn't just get Anno back to direct those episodes, but maybe he had already moved on to another project.

Gonna watch the movie? It's horrible. Gainax didn't even do it, some other studio with a brand new production crew worked on it. Shiro Sagisu, who did the music in the TV series, did the music for the movie though, so that's one good thing...

[LOSTyears]

Gonna watch the movie?Funny you mention it, just wasterrrrwatched it about a few hours ago :| completely awful and utterly pointless sequel that made me hate(myself j/k) being a completionist, I could chalk up the "island filler" as a giant hiccup this I'm willing to disavow knowledge of.

[Levon]

Linebarrels of Iron - This show sucked :facepalm:

[tigeress02]

Saiunkoku Monogatari Season 2: Loved it just as much as the first season. From my research it looks like there is still material from the light novels that hasn't been animated, so I'd love it if there was another season at some point. For now I'll be content with the manga.

[Mickeymac92]

I liked the dub, its much better than the SEED dub Ocean did. Ocean has really improved releasing some great dubs these past few years.
Most would say G Gundam had the worse dub. But I found the poor campy quality of it part of the charm :lol:

I liked the voice work in SEED. The voices were all appropriate, save for a few (and I can sort of understand why they chose those people), and they almost always hit the right notes and expressed the emotions they needed to. I couldn't stand the voice acting in Gundam 00. Several of the voices didn't fit the characters, and most noteably Setsuna F. Seiei sounded like a freakin' robot the entire time. Just droning on with no emotion. Sure, his face never shows expression, but even in the Japanese dub, he's able to express some amount of emotion through his voice. I did prefer Hallelujah and Allelujah in the English dub, though. I'm rewatching it in Japanese, and the voice actor doesn't get the craziness right the way the English actor did.

Oh well, even though I said it was the worst, it's still pretty good in a way. Far from terrible, to say the least. It's just that Gundam usually has good English dubbing, so I was disappointed when the VA was less that stellar. Even in G Gundam, the bad acting seemed sort of purposeful, and actually added to the experience, like you said.

Of course, the worst English VA in the series is definitely Gundam Wing, and then it's understandable considering the age of the work and the fact that they weren't sure whether or not it would be a success. That still does detract from the fact that the voice actors kind of kill several moments in the show, or at least, they did for ne. I didn't mind it as a kid, but when I tried to watch it recently it was insufferable (granted, that was on top of the poor pacing and generally odd translation and dialogue). If I ever manage to convince myself to watch it again (which I'll have to. It's that or Victory Gundam at this point, and I really don't want to watch that again), I'll definitely have switch to Japanese.

[gameoffreak8]

Tetsuwan Birdy Decode: The Cipher - This OVA connects the first and second season. I liked this OVA. Not much about it. 8.5/10

[RayearthIX]

Le Chevalier D'Eon - This show started very slowly, suddenly picked up and turned into a great historical fiction, and then ran faster than Usain Bolt to the finish. The fist disc bored me greatly, but by the time the four men were in Russia the series had piqued my interest, and even more so once in England.

Once the Duke d'Oreleans was captured though, the series became a convoluted rush to te finished with mixed heritages, ended monarchies, and historically inaccurate information (which was a surprise since the series kept well with history for a good chunk of the series). The last two episodes especially were a like villian after villian explaining why they did it in speech after speech. The show ends very suddenly and unfulfillingly as well as makes a proclamation that revolution began in France (it didn't, see America for that) and I was confused at the the disjoined timeline that occured after George III was supposedly pushed from the throne (which he wasn't)

Dunno...the final few episodes just closed things out so rapidly and disjointedly that it felt like there should have been more to story.

[gameoffreak8]

Tetsuwan Birdy Decode:02

After I watched the first season and OVA, I really look forward to the second season of Tetsuwan Birdy Decode as I have a high expectation on the second season. The pacing of the story is pretty normal as this story focuses on Birdy mostly than Tsutomu. I assume that romance moments for the second season belong to Birdy since the first season belongs to Tsutomu's love life. It has a great plot development and character development for Birdy and few characters. It also have a good animation except episode seven where animation in second half of that episode is terrible, and I guess you can call it experimental animation. It have some good fight scenes as same goes to the first season. Overall, this is one of great follow-up to the original, and I liked second season than first season because of Birdy and her past. The sequel is much better than original, in my opinion. Since the final episode left the story open, and the manga is still going-on, I am looking forward to the third season if possible. 9.6/10

[RayearthIX]

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Season 2 - UGH!!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I fast forwarded though 4 1/2 episodes without listening to them because the animation was so similar and the scripts of 8 episodes all titled Endless 8 were 90% the same...I have no clue how they could have released that. Then, 5 other episodes are part of the filming of the Magical Mikuru...which had 2 episodes about it in season one...So there are only 3 stories in 14 episodes...wow...and only 3 episodes have any sort of resolution! wow!

This sequel is about Seed Destiny bad...wow...

Note: I've read the manga and light novels so I knew how Endless 8 would end.

[Arnold]

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Season 2 - UGH!!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I fast forwarded though 4 1/2 episodes without listening to them because the animation was so similar and the scripts of 8 episodes all titled Endless 8 were 90% the same...I have no clue how they could have released that. Then, 5 other episodes are part of the filming of the Magical Mikuru...which had 2 episodes about it in season one...So there are only 3 stories in 14 episodes...wow...and only 3 episodes have any sort of resolution! wow!

This sequel is about Seed Destiny bad...wow...

Note: I've read the manga and light novels so I knew how Endless 8 would end.


I've always said that Endless 8 needed only 3, maybe 4 iterations- the first run through, the second a near repeat for the WTF effect, the third when the characters realize what's going on, and the resolution in the fourth. Any more is just KyoAni trolling.

[Levon]

I actually watched all of the Endless Eight episodes in one day, in a row for the most part too :eek:
I agree it should have only been maybe 3 or 4 episodes.

I had to watch hours of the same thing over & over simply because they didn't do their homework!?

[animegurl]

"Welcome to the NHK" last week.

[Red Dot]

Trinity Blood in 2 days. 3rd time, and I seem to enjoy it more each time.

[RayearthIX]

I actually watched all of the Endless Eight episodes in one day, in a row for the most part too :eek:
I agree it should have only been maybe 3 or 4 episodes.

I had to watch hours of the same thing over & over simply because they didn't do their homework!?

As every student knows. While summer and winter break are great, you can NEVER escape the dreaded HOMEWORK!

not even in law school -_-;

And I would say 3 episodes. 1 when they act normally, 2 when they realize it and fail, and 3 when they realize it and succeed by doing a 'study session' which in real life never results in any studying getting done.

There are so many more stories in the Manga that they could take from...they didn't need to do the 14 episodes like they did...

I also watched all of them in a single day, but imagine if you watched them over 2 months as part of a weekly series, and each week another Endless Eight episode popped up...

[RayearthIX]

"Welcome to the NHK" last week.

that series was really depressing at times

[Arnold]

I actually finished Beck this past weekend. Fascinating show, nothing quite like it in anime. It's more akin to something like Almost Famous than any other anime I've seen so far.

[Dark Lord]

I watched Black Butler, the first season, on Funimation's video website. I really enjoyed the series so I think I will buy it. But, the price is a little high for me right now so I'll wait for a sale. Now I started watching the first two episodes of the second season.

[ShinigamiGirl]

Just finished Boogiepop Phantom.

[DazzleKitty]

Bihada Ichizoku

What the heck was that?!? This is one of the weirdest animes I have watched recently. I couldn't tell if the story was meant to be taken seriously or not. And the dude that introduced each episode was dang strange.

At least it was short. All 12 eps watched in about two hours. I'll definitely remember it for its sheer weirdness.

[PenPen]

Recently finished High School of the Dead. It was a pleasant surprise for me. Thought I'd watch a couple episodes and drop it, but I got hooked in.

[Alex Decay]

Mushishi.
3/10.
Incredibly boring.

[Arnold]

Just finished Noir.

Not a bad show, really, has some kickass John Woo style action sequences and a great soundtrack. The show kinda dragged in the middle, though.

[Comrade Garone]

Death Note

Not bad even though it lacked that 'genious feel' Liar's Game had.

[YuriFanboy]

Canaan - I thought the show was pretty awesome. Alphard was really cool. I really liked the relationship between Canaan and Maria too. I really liked the dub. It was nice hearing Hilary Haag again. It's been forever since I've heard her in a dub. That reminds me. I still need to get around to buying the Clannad Complete Collection sometime. I have the sub only DVDs, but I want to get the complete collection for the dub. Anyway, I think I would give Canaan a 9/10.

[Levon]

Eden of the East - Really great! Sorta reminded me of Welcome to the N.H.K. for some reason(neets).
Its not the sci-fi action anime I was expecting. Its more of a drama with comedy & romance mixed in.
I just wish it was longer. Can't wait for the movies.

Canaan - I thought the show was pretty awesome. Alphard was really cool. I really liked the relationship between Canaan and Maria too. I really liked the dub. It was nice hearing Hilary Haag again. It's been forever since I've heard her in a dub. That reminds me. I still need to get around to buying the Clannad Complete Collection sometime. I have the sub only DVDs, but I want to get the complete collection for the dub. Anyway, I think I would give Canaan a 9/10.

I'm crazy about Noir & Madlax so I can't wait to see this, but my PS3 is broke so I can't play the Blu-ray set :(

I've been hearing Hilary Haag a lot lately with dubs like Appleseed, Clannad, Blue Drop, Tears to Tiara and Xam'd. Which is great because for a while we didn't hear from many voice actors at ADV and was starting to fear I'd never hear them again. Even Jessica Boone is back which is surprised because I thought she moved out of state. I hope Sasha Paysinger returns.

[Carhill22]

Highschool of the Dead.. 7/10.. I liked it a lot. I mean I am a sucker for zombies, I watch zombie movies fairly regularly. So I had fun watching it, heard a rumor about an OVA, and a bunch of poeple whining about a second season. I'll just wait and see.

[Arnold]

Just finished Nadesico the other day.

Great show; I liked how it paid homage to the values of the 70s Super Robot genre while at the same time the show provides a sobering "real Robot" balance. It shows that things aren't as black and white as Gekigangar and as how the Jovians make things out to be.

I also enjoyed that Akito didn't suffer from complete Tenchi-like spinelessness and at the end actually admit his feelings for Yurika.

Still not quite getting the ending, though. How does Yurika and Akito causing the Nadesico to Boson jump resolve anything?

[Alex Decay]

Akagi.
6.5/10

[LOSTyears]

Strange Dawn
An unusual adventure/fantasy whose charming aesthetics drew me in but sucker punched me with a compelling parallel world conflict drama. Though the how they got there is never visibly discerned it hardly mattered cause the world we're thrown in is well established as are the volatile events occurring that off initial impression is surprisingly embroiled around sovereignty and politics. Our young n' plucky odd pairing leads play deities, trigger, and side court to the ensuing dramas but in my honest opinion the extremely engaging cast of little people were the drive and like their world have grounded histories as truths, subterfuge and hearts clash between them. Action wise this was certainly not afraid to get dirty and bloodied despite its appearance. There were also a few details I got a kick out of; like the placement of their weapons, the sacrality of shoes/feet as something of vulnerability and in some instances sensuality amongst other mature themes that were floating around. Though I can see how the uncertainty of the aftermath might leave a jaded impression I thought the end was plausibly suitable and emotionally conscientious reason being felt the "Grand Saviors" made more of a significant impact of the character dramas than the big picture issue(s) which I think many would agree was unfavorably futile anyway even with their involvement compounding it hence why I didn't mind the resolve focusing on the drama of those who mattered. Did they get back? Was the out look of the conflict made better? Whose to say *shrugs* they might not have changed the grand scheme of things in that world but along with coming to terms with their own personal issues I do believe they changed the hearts and minds of the little people we cared about forever, the waring and politics were just a cover to that. Which is why I liked and felt the awkward manic tirade of self discovery that closed the curtain on this series did them some justice.
Well accustomed to series involving parallel world/conflict themes so I have to say this is one that really threw me for a loop and made an impressionable impact on me. It was a treat with an interesting aesthetic approach, some bold emotional depth and not to mention a stirring conclusion to provoke wonder. Solid A

[Arnold]

I finished Ah My Goddess season 2 this weekend. What a sweet series! I only wish there was more.

[DazarGaidin]

^I think there is more...a 2 part ova about the Valkyrie chick if im not mistaken (Fighting Wings?)

And the mini-goddess stuff

[Arnold]

^I think there is more...a 2 part ova about the Valkyrie chick if im not mistaken (Fighting Wings?)

And the mini-goddess stuff

I think the season 2 set includes those OVAs.
As for the Mini-goddesses... that's not quite the same thing, though I liked that too.

Oh yeah, there's also the movie. Haven't seen that yet.

[Levon]

I think the season 2 set includes those OVAs.
As for the Mini-goddesses... that's not quite the same thing, though I liked that too.

No the Fighting Wings special has never been released on DVD yet.

Next year there will be a new anime that will be included with the manga. Might just be a single episode and not really part of the story. Perhaps it will be like mini-goddess, no idea.

[Arnold]

No the Fighting Wings special has never been released on DVD yet.

Next year there will be a new anime that will be included with the manga. Might just be a single episode and not really part of the story. Perhaps it will be like mini-goddess, no idea.

Huh, didn't know about those OVAs. I thought they were referring to the DVD-only episodes for season 2.

Man, they really need to make more A!MG anime. There is so much good material that hasn't been animated yet (I myself have only barely scratched the surface with it)

[DazarGaidin]

I liked Fighting Wings, lind is awesome :)

[YuriFanboy]

Sekirei - It's pretty much what I expected. The plot isn't great, but it was still a really fun series. I really like the characters. Tsukiumi is awesome and is by far my favorite character in the show. I really like Matsu and Kusano too. Overall, I think it's one of the better fanservicey fighting/harem series that I have seen. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

[DazarGaidin]

Yeah im not usually big on fanservice fighting shows but sekirei has good character interaction and a little more comedy tossed in there. The second season seems to take things more seriously.

[SandalpHon]

sad to say the last full series I watched was Gantz. I need to start buying anime again lol

[Anamin]

Serial Experiments Lain.

[Olivia_688]

I just finished watching Boys Be Mini Series! - love it so muchhh! <3

[Ryuuji]

Durarara!! and it was freaking awesome!!

[neiru_3]

Glass Fleet. Forgettable series.

[dalawuk]

Love Hina :)))))))))

[LISA HAYES]

Touch.....

[YuriFanboy]

Uta~Kata - I liked it. It was darker than I expected it to be. I think I was sadder than Ichika when Manatsu said her goodbye :lol: Overall, I liked it. I think that I'd give it around an 8/10.

[firedragon54738]

Clannad:crybaby: its just such a good story I cant wait for After Story and the movie to be dubbed

[Lynx]

Angel Beats - Great mix of comedy and drama. I didn't think I'd like this show that much going in but I ended up loving it by the end. And speaking of end, I need to watch that again. It was such a great scene and something I never expected. 9/10

[Menos]

I just finished watching Armitage III. I am increasingly becoming more interested in classic anime. They just don't make them like they used to.

[Jayman]

Soul Eater - finished the series off a short while back. Not a bad series overall. The characters were pretty cool and intersting to follow. The story was not bad. It seemed to kind of drift off to something else from when the series first began. The animation was pretty good but I could have done with less childish antics scenes. The ending wasn't bad either. 7.5/10

[Arnold]

Just finished Magic Knight Rayearth season II.

Frankly I thought the ending was kinda weaksauce in comparison to that of season 1

They barely even explain where the main villain came from, other than that she was created from the fear held by the Citizens of Cephiro. Disappointing compared to the revelation about Zagato and Emeraude at the end of Season 1.

[Grayson]

Edit: Black Butler.

[foryouranime]

I just finished up the first season of Spice and Wolf. I love this series. I didn't expect it to be that adorable XD

[Grayson]

Completed my rewatching of Death Note. The ending still irks me! Ergggg.

[xia]

Finished B Gata H Kei last night.
I didnt have too many expectations when I started watching this, but somehow it turned out to be a pretty great show. Here's to hoping for a second season! 9/10

[firedragon54738]

Kanon:crybaby: just finished it and wow there just so much to this story just so many tearful monument

[LOSTyears]

Revolutionary Girl Utena
This was one.........lets just say exquisite school themed drama/fantasy both bold and flamboyant on many levels but particularly in style and its execution. With a very intriguing approach on adolescence, whether it be that the drama or duels lay heavily on symbolism and metaphor of the capricious and often sexual nature. And each stage I might add ups the dosage to the next extreme building up all the way through. All of this on a tragically endearing premise leading into an engaging yet dubiously dreamy plot filled to the brim with hot-blooded tension and angst galore. Of course there's a cast to match this tone albeit our lead(Utena)whose earnest purity you could pluck easily out of this flashy and seedy bunch, the dynamic of this ensemble teetered gracefully on an very unstable ebb and flow of drama between them. Big plus I'd like to highlight was the repetitious preparation to duel sequences humbly equipped with gaudy music was done at each stage with such flair and detail it became a ritual to look forward to. Few gripes I can conjure up; fillers were fun but very weird and as stated before this does lay heavy on symbol and metaphor so how you approach and what you got out if it will likely be individual interpretation but by the final stretch for me it was so thick my brain was fried from it.
Out of all the angst-y dramas I've experienced with like themes to my surprise this was the most enjoyable to a guilty degree, its style alone I think makes it a breakthrough and high recommend for its genre. A-

[Arnold]

Urusei Yatsura. All 195 episodes.

This is the longest series I have ever completed from beginning to end. Took a while (I started watching in January) but it was well worth it, and it turned out to be one of the funniest, most charming, well written, and -fun- series I've seen all year. Lum also has to rank among the top 5 anime babes I've ever seen...

On to the OVAs and movies!

[ryushe]

Urusei Yatsura. All 195 episodes.

This is the longest series I have ever completed from beginning to end. Took a while (I started watching in January) but it was well worth it, and it turned out to be one of the funniest, most charming, well written, and -fun- series I've seen all year. Lum also has to rank among the top 5 anime babes I've ever seen...

On to the OVAs and movies!I know it doesn't really have anything in common, but how does it compare to Masion Ikkoku? In the sense of overall awesomeness I mean.

Samurai Champloo
I've seen a lot of the episodes sans the final two via Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, but they were always out of sync whenever I decided to watch, so this is the first time I've actually watched it all from start to finish, and while not on the same level as a Cowboy Bebop, it was still a great watch. Do kinda wish it ended on a more memorable note, but I could see why and get that it didn't.

At least it feed the Samurai hunger I've had for quite some time now. Its just a shame that I'm starving for more.

[chachaboru]

negima?!
it's quite funny but i find the manga
so so very awesome!!

[ShinigamiAlice]

Code Geass :)

[ShinigamiGirl]

Just finished LoveHina

[Jayman]

Seirei no Moribito - awesome series!! One of the best I have seen in a little while! I loved the story and really loved the characters. The animation was excellent as well. I just might have to buy this one. 9/10

[LOSTyears]

K-ON!
Being mostly cute light-hearted ultra moe fluff I actually ended up liking it more than I thought I would. Mainly cause I've experienced and enjoyed similar light comedy/slices within its realm, and this one oozed off a mellow feel good tone that I'm attuned to. And like its characters it doesn't take itself too seriously I didn't feel like I had to become that invested so I could just kick back and soak in the whimsical cuteness and there is no short supply. Biggest draw here was obviously the girls and the bewitching moe explosion they brought with each endeavor, this particular music theme also added a more fun challenge which I think sets it slightly apart from other like-themed shows that you could throw together with high school girls. Only gripes were it moved too quickly in a way that felt like some of the progress was skipped over, that and over the course it became stagnantly complacent though this latter gripe does often come with the territory of this genre. Can see why this shows setup and aesthetics pander to a certain fan-base, with that said consider me a part of it ^_^ B-

Side thought; Yui is one of the most bubble-headed characters thank goodness for the others for balancing her out..................sort of.

[Alex Decay]

Princess Resurrection.

[DazarGaidin]

Seirei no Moribito - awesome series!! One of the best I have seen in a little while! I loved the story and really loved the characters. The animation was excellent as well. I just might have to buy this one. 9/10

Heck ya!

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/DazarGaidin/moribito/balsaFight1Large.gif

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/DazarGaidin/chibiBalsa.gif

I love how the show develops the relationship between the two of them, as chagum becomes a stronger little man and balsa becomes more motherly. Its like they both affect each other/take from each other for good.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f149/Lynoftheplains/moribito/balsachagumhug2.jpg

[LOSTyears]

Shinryaku! Ika Musume
The biggest surprise of its season mostly in part and thanks to its title character. Ika Musume is one of the most hilariously charming and cute characters, innocently naive yet highly adaptable you could literally interact her with any random situation or people and it would come out enjoyable often awkwardly so. Complimented with an assorted eccentric cast there was no shortage of fun and delightful moments. Glad it stuck as an episodic comedy, thankfully didn't try to pander a message or cause as I thought it might and very well could have but that part stayed at the premise. Could have easily went longer with a slow burning run of going stale though with its conclusion I do find myself equally satisfied and disappointed, we might see more of Ika.
Ika's main objective was to invade humanity(lol) and I think she succeeded in a way she never intended cause she managed to capture my affection and probably tons of other fans which is why I'm putting her on my exclusive list of favorite female characters. Her catching your fancy will weigh on whether you like or dislike the show, if you don't like her I probably hate you j/k no seriously give her a shot. A pleasantly solid A

Side thought; like to bring up a sub-episode that came out midway titled "Won't You Keep It?"(mini-Ika) that's going down as one of my favorite episodes. How an episode becomes a favorite for me is when its something I likely won't forgot and that one definitely falls under that. It was so different from the others on top of being ridiculously cute it was the most warm and charming thing I'd seen in so long.

[DazarGaidin]

I also finished Shinryaku! Ika Musume: One of my favs this season. A really cute and super fun anime. The main character is terrific, and the humor is great. I think even people who dislike moe anime might find it hard to hate this one :D I regret erasin my old copy of fireworks cause i could make 100s of gifs from this show. I really like the little extra touches they added to the anime too, like the different ED animations they slip in there or the mini-ika ep. The umbrella episode was awesome, it was like a brief one man show that kinda came out of no where :)

[YuriFanboy]

Ikki Tousen Dragon Destiny - I knew what to expect from this since I've seen the first season of Ikki Tousen. It's a fun show. The plot, character development, etc. is pretty much nonexistent, but I wasn't expecting any of that to begin with. It's just another guilty pleasure of mine, basically.

[Meegle]

OreImo
Not what I expected but still pretty good.

[LOSTyears]

Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls
Super-ecchi ultra stylish epic samurai girl explosion :P yeah and its actually pretty good too. Loaded with a volatile buxom n' bouncy cast aptly named after historical Japanese figures this was a surprise treat. Mostly because the ecchi-ness and harem setup was not heavily relied upon and played as an accessory. Another highlight was its knack for staying engaging without losing its risque fun despite late character entries and mysterious plot staying so throughout most of it while they fiddled around with the interesting "Master Samurai" concept. Its obvious preferential aesthetics and brisk length were its few downsides. Oh and if your a stickler for censorship in what I thought were manageable and stylishly placed blotches might annoy a select crowd, however I do look forward to viewing the uncensored version for the more enhanced experience ^_^ Give it B

[RecentMidget]

Just finished Gurren Lagann yesterday.

Now on to Megas XLR

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk169/achoo_NO_U/1257404874990.jpg

[LOSTyears]

12/24/10
Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru
This was a rather pleasant piece of offbeat comedy/slice that blossomed over its course. The funny was hit or miss mostly the former cause this quirky and likable hip cast meshed well with each other, when it does shift to pure slice it delivers a real delight cashing in on simplicity and sometimes an air of familiarity. And another thing that made it so good is that it didn't necessarily need its leads to reap the benefits as even a potent side cast could easily carry the "slice" torch. Comedy that was miss often flew over head which is really just a minor gripe cause of the randomness nature of the show so it was excusable. Very upbeat and infectious OP/ED are worth noting since the cast does put some fun effort towards one. Though this type of comedy/slice may only grip a select few I believe its worth taking a shot in the dark if this genre(and cute maids) interest you. B+

12/25/10
Iron Man was a blast, of course it helped already being on board for the marvel/anime fusion. Like I mentioned in previous thoughts this was basically Tony Stark in Japan animated comic book arc in the textbook episodic adventures building around major plot, we're also treated to some origin bits and cameos. Thought Tony himself looked sharp in anime form very fitting for the smug tech-savvy playboy, CG Iron Man and action looked great and also fitting. Major drawback here though was that it probably pandered mostly to the comic crowd or those generally interested or curious in the marvel anime project, that and over simplified plots were its biggest cons. All else aside it was a successful thrill ride for this geek, here's hoping for future arcs and series featuring said cameo's(*cough* Wolverine). B-

12/26/10
Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
If Ren & Stimpy and The Powerpuff Girls had sex in a bad porno this would spew out its *** upon conception. With that said this show is trash highly and viciously amusing trash with some merit, and it gets progressively better as it goes. Already built on a warped premise its ability to twist parody, satire and tropes into something perversely entertaining is remarkable and often a surprise, sometimes that shock comes in the form of charm which also showed it wasn't afraid to exploit its brand unconventionally. This coupled with its audacious use of multiple animation styles makes it arguably one of the most original titles of the year maybe past few, seriously Gainax throwing this down the chute was ballsy. BUT its brand is also a major fail or hurdle depending on who's watching; the action and comedy range from gross, vulgar, to abusively violent and explicitly profane right out of the gate skidding its *** to the finish. Needless to say this cuts the crowd, heck even I was turned off and drug my feet initially. In the end though through courage*cough*risk I got through and shamelessly enjoyed it and then some. The show was like candy for the sickest part of the brain, and for those of us with that sweet tooth were indulged for those not well no love loss. It was a shocking hit for me B+

[KT Kore]

Last week:
Wanpaku Ouji no Orochi Taiji (movie)
Whimsical fairy tale brought to film, so not much to think about in terms of plot. I guess it was the nature of the fairy tale, but really felt like most things in this movie happened just to happen and never had much explanation. But I suppose that can be expected from a movie about a family of gods. Things just...are. The characters themselves were not bad and the interactions were pretty good. This is an old movie from the early 60s so the animation is extremely fluid like the old Disney and Warner Bros cartoons. Some scenes were so well-animated that they almost looked three-dimensional. Loved the art style as well. Think Samurai Jack or Zelda: Windwaker. This movie also had music by the composer of the Godzilla films, which I recognized right away. Not bad overall. 7/10

Last night:
Bungaku Shoujo (movie)
I think this is the first thing from 2010 that I've seen. This one started off promising enough. About a boy who meets a girl who is really interested in literature. But even though she is the title character of the show, there is a plot that mostly overshadows her character and interactions with the other lead. The story was told in such a way that almost made me wonder if I was missing something that maybe I needed to read or watch before hand, but that wasn't the case. It was told like a mystery where the pieces slowly come together. I guess they did this because the story itself is rather ordinary and simplistic, so they tried to make it more interesting. I don't think the subject matter really warranted a mysterious style of presentation and it just felt really odd because of it. This presentation may have hurt the way I felt about the movie early on because I wasn't given much of a reason to care about any of the drama that was happening. After I found out what it was all about, I still didn't care. None of these characters had any empathy from me, and one of them I had no idea why she was even there. The movie was WAY too melodramatic for its own good, and I even cracked a smirk at a couple points because it felt so silly. Between my feelings about most of the characters and the forced drama, I just couldn't get into it much at all. The only character that I cared anything about was the main title character, even though most of the movie's focus wasn't put on her. This could have been handled a lot better. 6/10

[Levon]

InuYasha TV series. Excluding Final Act.

Really enjoyed the showed. I really dig Rumiko Takahashi's stories :thumbsup:
Most of season 4 was lame filler. Season 5 however made up for it, I thought it was the best season. I look forward to Final Act airing on Adult Swim.

Xam'd: Lost Memories - :facepalm: I really thought I'd like this. The first half showed promise but the second half was horrible. Very lame show.

[Panko Z]

after a basically 3 month hiatus i'm back into the swing of things:

Macross

definitely a classic, with likable characters with a heavy dose of humanity and drama. each episode brought something new and made me anxious for the next one. and it had one of the best climactic space battles ever!

unfortunately after that, things kinda slowed down. although it was good that they continued the story with the Earth trying to pick up the pieces and Kamjin leading the rebels, it pretty much boiled down to a constant back and forth love/hate drama between Hikaru and the girls. i don't regret seeing it, but it didn't keep up the momentum of the former part of the series so it would've been better had the show ended earlier. so i have to knock a point off for that.

and it was fun to see the characters get more googly eyed as the series went on. gotta love those sloppy hand drawn moments :P

all in all, it was a highly memorable experience. A+


Green Green

hilariously perverted, many moments even surpassing The Ping Pong Club (that infamous gym room of course :naughty:). other than that, not much else going on. the story wasn't anything special and it was just fan service o'plenty. but it amazed me with its brazenness and made me laugh like a mad man so i was pleased. B+

[DazarGaidin]

Xam'd: Lost Memories - :facepalm: I really thought I'd like this. The first half showed promise but the second half was horrible. Very lame show.

I liked it anyway, but i agree, it kinda fell apart midway through.

[KT Kore]

Hmm, someone else I know said the same thing. I was looking forward to that one. Oh well, I'll check it out anyway. Maybe I'll like it more.

[DazarGaidin]

Its not horrible, but they wasted a lot of time on ...i dont want to say filler but, characters walking around the world or whatever, and then rushed the ending because of it. I think if they cut out some of the traveling arcs and expounded on the ending more it would have been much better.

[Levon]

Its like Eureka Seven in that Bones tried very hard to make the story move as slow as possible to drag it out so that it fits the required episode amount. -_-; At the same time it also felt too rushed near the end. High quality animation, style, designs, sound but really flawed poorly developed story & characters.
Its a chore to watch. Not fun.

I think Xam'd would be better if they just made a movie instead and cut all of slow uninteresting crap and 95% of the bad characters. There were a few good characters.
Toujirou Kakisu was the best character & by far the most interesting character, unlike the others he always got my complete attention. If the anime was only about him the show would've been great. The voice actor in the English dub was stunning.

[KT Kore]

I didn't have a problem with the pacing in E7. In fact, it's one of my favorite shows. So maybe I'll be able to forgive it in Xam'd as well. Plus, Xam'd is only half as long.

[DazarGaidin]

I think that it has such a fast pace in the beginning, that it is jarring when it crawls later, then goes breakneck again for the finale. Still, one of the most unique anime i have seen, and is worth watching for that alone in this cookie cutter anime world :P

[Spike]

Ghost in the Shell first season. It never gets old for me.

[lordakuna]

HSOTD first season.

It was ok it could have been great with a little less emphasis on fan service. Seriously all the panty shots and boob shots were done tastelessly. I love zombies and I thought the art style all that was great. Watched the subbed as well the voice acting was good just thought there was a bit to much fluff.

[KT Kore]

Maison Ikkoku
Just going back through past episodes searching for screen shots to use to update my favorite character list and "missing" the series minutes after I finished it tells me all I need to know -- I love Maison Ikkoku. Godai was such an easy character to root for. Flawed, but a really good guy. He tries really hard but things never seem to go his way. So when he's smitten by Kyoko, a woman who seems far and away out of his league, it's hard to imagine those two together. This makes rooting for Godai even easier, since you really want to see it happen for him, and for him to finally succeed and live a happy life after all the hard work and failures.

The characters are all top notch and they start to feel like family after a while, as any show with good characters usually should. To be honest, Godai's neighbors were extremely hard to like in the beginning because of all the ridiculous hardship they put Godai through. It's like they actually really wanted to ruin the guys life and would stop at nothing until they got the job done. But at the same time, it was funny stuff to me. After a while their antics became common day and their actions became less infuriating as time went on until I ended up liking them all. Godai, Yotsuya, Mitaka and Kyoko have all become new additions to my favorite characters list.

The show seemed to be built on comical misunderstandings. If something isn't done or said directly then you can bet a misunderstanding is coming. This was fine for the most part because, as I said, they were comical most of the time. This became problematic when the misunderstandings would cause some serious issue to occur. Then it sometimes seemed a bit silly. Still, at the same time, you can see through these misunderstandings the emotions the characters had about something if such a situation were actually real. So the serious misunderstanding served their purpose as well.

There was a ton of beating around the bush in this series which made it more pleasing when things finally started to happen. The last 20 or so episodes were the best in the bunch and it's all capped off with a great ending that covers all ends of the spectrum.

What else can I say? Maison Ikkoku is a great new addition to my top 5. An easy 10/10.

[foryouranime]

I just finished up Durarara and the 2nd series of Black Butler. Durarara rocked and the ending of Black Butler...was a bit WTH ^_^;

[DazarGaidin]

Yeah MI was pretty good, good enough for me to forgive its old look :P I think the story could have been a little better if it was a little shorter and cut some of the 'misunderstandings' down. Still enjoyed it and the ending is stellar.

[Meegle]

Kimi Ni Todoke season 1

This is an anime that for some reason I found myself drawn to. It reminded me of my highschool days. (I was somewhere between Sawako, Chizu and Sanada). The whole time I was rooting for Sawako. Several emotional scenes. Hands down one of the best shoujo animes I've seen since Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou.

[Ryvius]

Hmm, someone else I know said the same thing. I was looking forward to that one. Oh well, I'll check it out anyway. Maybe I'll like it more.
Maybe me? :P

I guess I'll express my opinion for others since they're bringing up other points, but my issue with Xam'd's second half was that the shifted character focus on a bunch of other random characters was kind of unnecessary. I'll agree with Levon that Toujirou was probably the only decent villain, but other than that they should have kept the focus exclusively to Nakiami and Akiyuki. I liked Akiyuki a lot in the second half, too bad his screentime slowed dramatically.

Nakiami was amazing stuff, made it worth the watch to me. She was like a young Balsa or something, lol.

As much as I hated the dragged out angsty romance in E7 in the later half, I'd say it was definitely more solid than Xam'd. Though on that note E7 always makes me think of GX... which is just way better in my opinion, haha.

[MechaKingGhidra]

Disgaea, and that was roughly 4-5 months ago?

I have been having a heck of a time finding the willpower to actually *finish* watching anything because the stories in most anime I am exposed to (my friends typically trying to show me their latest "finds") just peter off into a million different story arcs that require me to watch from the pilot episode and not miss a single thing inbetween.

Even then, I sometimes feel compelled to keep a gosh darn notepad with every minute detail recorded otherwise I can't keep up when the slightest references are made 20-40 episodes later which dramatically alter the course of the story, even though I felt like it could have just dropped it altogether.

It's frustrating. Oh well, not the end of the world so I'll just have to suck it up, right? :naughty:

[LOSTyears]

Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge was a good continuation to this charmingly odd comedy/romance that added a light brush of seriousness to developments emboldening the enigma behind certain characters and events, some great Nino/Ric moments spawned from it. And in its own weird ways bonds felt stronger this run for the whole cast as if they were more than just collective weirdos on a riverbank but a family of such, even with the few peculiar additions. Along with all the usual shaft-y zany randomness this season play out more to developing, that's why though not conclusive I'm not entirely dissatisfied with how things were left budding leaving with that fleeting heart-warming tone of wanting more. B

Shiki
A tantalizing horror/mystery/thriller that courses ever slowly through the veins of a chilling and tragic tale in a textbook sleepy town. Its slow burn cerebral pace is actually its strength IMO; etching out a deep impressionable suspense through the infiltration, stabilizing and countering of the plot. When the bubble does pop its an interesting watch of the vicious psychology of hunt and hunted teetering back and forth.
Good chunk of the cast are highly unlikable some downright frustratingly ignorant yet not forgettable, this ensemble does a wonderful job orchestrating this dark macabre of cat and mouse. Though the supernatural theme plays a role in the belief system here its a rather down-to-earth and surprisingly detailed take on vampires.
Pacing and cast will probably hinder some, even I found myself frustrated at times but I do assure patience is rewarded. Maybe not the best I've seen regarding blood-suckers but perhaps one of the more hauntingly intriguing. C+

[Meegle]

Soredemo macchi wa matteiru
This show is as slice-of-life as they come. It wasn't exciting, it wasn't dramatic. Put it was funny, and at times pleasant. I could have done without the whole afterlife stuff.

[Mickeymac92]

MD Geist if Movie-like OVAs count. Otherwise it would be Genmu Senki Leda (a movie), Gunbuster(which is more like a Short series) or Martian Successor Nadesico.

MD Geist was okay, but too gory, ballsy, and generic for a sci-fi action 2-part OVA series.

Genmu Senki Leda was also a generic fantasy action movie with a simple story to it, but I enjoyed it a lot more than MD Geist.

Gunbuster was great in every aspect with tons of memorable moments.

I could say the same about Nadesico, though it's not as great or as memorable as Gunbuster was.

[LOSTyears]

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo
Good n' solid paranormal/mystery/thriller, with emphasis on the mysterious and supernatural plots were filled with suspense, juicy revelations and twist at a brisk but manageable pace. That highlight aside no other element really seem to stand out too much. Even the characters title one included were moderately interesting, Yakumo himself with his sharp power of deduction(and eye) was the shrewd serious type that took time to grow on you. In fact connections the cast had to plot and each other were of higher interest. Though the main antagonist being a ghost of relation teamed up with a psychopathic living partner in crimewas an intriguing draw. Other than that I believe my first sentence sums it up clearly, anyone with interest in the genre(s) looking for something smart n' smooth with a splash of suspense will enjoy. B-

[Mickeymac92]

Dragon Century - it was alright, pretty easy to follow with some somewhat ...moving moments. Another episode to wrap things up would've made it much better.

[goddessofanime]

I just marathoned Oreimo.

I liked it a lot, but goddamnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn....Kirino is a *****.

Kuroneko made the show. :heart:

[RayearthIX]

finished 3 over winter break

Venus Versus Virus - it was disappointing to me. It started with some interesting promise, but most of the emotional intrigue that made the manga worth reading was missing in the anime and made it somewhat dry in comparison.

Strawberry Panic - Since I've read the manga, I had some idea of what to expect, but the 3rd wheels definitely got my sympathy in almost every coupling in the series which was a problem. I was usually rooting against the set pairings becaue I felt they didn't make sense, not that I was rewarded for it tho. <_< Dunno, I just thought the whole feeling of the series was kind off, and since in many ways it did a better job of building the relationships than the manga, it just ended up being weird...enjoyable to watch, but weird.

Strike Witches - Ok. Of the three series, this was the one i was most pleased with. Why? Because once I got past the obvious loli natue of the series (I mean, sorry loli's, don't want to see a 15 year old's...who looks more like she's 7, not 15, panties every other scene) there was an interesting story that I wish was delved into more. The length of the series was it's greatest weakness, as it seemed the story rushed up to forefront and ended abruptly, making me wish there was more to the sudden twist.

[Reven]

School Days. Left a taste in my mouth that could take a long time to get rid of.

[Arnold]

Maison Ikkoku
What else can I say? Maison Ikkoku is a great new addition to my top 5. An easy 10/10.

One of my two favorite anime, though I prefer the manga a little more. While the anime had a bit more subtlety than the manga in the first half, but in the last 20 episodes or so where the series really elevates to "classic" the manga's a bit more mature and slightly less sitcom-ish. For example, Godai getting the Bunny Club job- in the anime he goes to the club and can't pay off his bill so they go for the standard trope of him having to work off his bill. But in the manga, he takes the job because he's broke- anyone who has to take a crappy job just to pay bills can relate.

(Also in the manga, Godai and Kyoko actually have sex before they get married, which was a nice touch because it reinforced that this was a real adult relationship.)

And that's what I love about it. The series is not just about romance, but about growing up into a mature, dependable adult -through- said romance, and about moving on in your life after great loss. Most other series would just concentrate on the love relationship and not really deal with these other issues. You see Godai and Kyoko really work through said issues in a believable but subtle way.

But yeah, it was a great anime, the last dozen episodes just knocked it out of the park, and the second half of the final episode went above and beyond in providing closure and bringing things full circle.

I must have seen the final scene over 20 times, and I still get a shiver each time when you hear Kanashimi o Konnichiwa come up at the end, with the narration from when Kyoko and Godai first met.

[Carhill22]

FMA I'm not a fan of the whole ending.. I won't post anything about it, but I like that you get to know where the characters are, unlike a lot of shows...

[LISA HAYES]

FLCK -this show for me is like Andy Warhol artwork maybe i dont understand
everything about it but i like it .Best things about this show are countless references,unique art,and great music in background.I am really impressed with this anima.


Tona-Gura!-enjoyable but average ,nothing new in my opinion .

[goddessofanime]

Arakawa Under the Bridge 2x

Great series though it ended not what I thought...