Cenimoran

Story-
Another centers around a "calamity" that occurs some years in the town of Yomiyama. This calamity affects the students in class 3-3 of Yomiyama North High School, slowly killing off students and their relatives through a variety of means. The main character--a transfer student named Kouichi Sakakibara--and his classmates must figure out how to stop this before most or all of them are killed.  While generally considered to be a "horror" anime, I can't say that Another ever actually frightened me. That's not to say the story isn't excellent. The elements of... See full review

Overview- I picked up this series on a whim, and I am very glad that I did. It shows off the fruits of having both a good concept and powerful execution; as a result it is, in my opinion, one of the top anime of 2011.  Story- Steins;Gate relies heavily on the concept of time travel within various parallel worlds, referred to as "world lines." Essentially, a small group of high school and college age students that create a machine capable of sending text messages to the past. They develop and encounter various other time travel devices as the series progresses. The series... See full review

Story- Yumekui Merry's story is centered on the appearance of "Muma"--denizens of the dream world--in real life. There are good Muma and bad Muma. The former, when they make a human their "vessel," cause said human's hopes and dreams to flourish. The latter destroy human hopes and dreams. The show's main character and namesake, Merry, is a good Muma. Unlike others of her race, however, she does not require a human vessel to move about in the real world. Merry is also afflicted with some measure of amnesia and has been wandering the real world for some time. She meets Yumeji, a high... See full review

Overview The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a mish-mash of many genres. It includes paranormal elements, comedy, a touch of ecchi, and some slice of life. The different elements of the series blend well, resulting in a fun, if slightly unusual anime. Story- I tend to think of story in terms of overarching plot and certain key elements (climax, themes/motifs, pacing). Melancholy does not do so well in this regard, and it isn't intended to. The first six episodes (if you are watching in chronological order) have, by far, the most continuity. I found the pacing, order of events, and climax to all be... See full review

Overview- Hi no Tori is a somewhat unorthodox anime broken into five smaller stories: Dawn (4 episodes), Resurrection (2 episodes), Strange Beings (1 episode), The Sun (4 episodes), and Future (2 episodes). The series expresses a primarily Buddhist viewpoint. Any subtle ideological expressions in the show should not offend viewers. I am certainly not Buddhist, and the show did not offend me.   Story- Hi no Tori is a show driven primarily by story. It reminded me a bit of The Twilight Zone in some regards. It doesn't really have a twist at the end of each arc, but the quality of storytelling and... See full review

Mushishi has always had a special place in my heart. I will make this clear right away: if you are looking for intense action, an epic overarching plot, or flashy animation, this isn't the right anime for you. No, what Mushishi does best is make you think. It explores interesting situations, without beating you over the head with philosophy. No ideas or specific dogmas are forced upon you. Nature plays a large part in this anime. Much of the series takes place in the wilderness, or at least in isolated villages. Scenes of nature are rich and beautiful, showing great attention to detail. I also found some... See full review

Story- The plot of Fam was for me much the same as the original Last Exile: I was deeply confused in the beginning, but became quite attached to the characters in the end. As with the first season, there are a number of different factions vying for power through the use of various airships with a 19th Century feel. Thrown into this conflict are the semi-mystical giant ships called Exiles which have star-traveling capabilities. Basically, in the past the world descended into chaos and the various nations inhabiting it constructed these Exiles to flee to other planets. But now things have settled... See full review

This review is based on the English version of Elfen Lied.   Story (7/10--good)- I must say, I was amazed by the quality of the plot in an anime infamous for its violence. I expected the story to be an excuse for the chopping off of limbs and gratuitous amounts of nudity. This is simply not the case. The plot touches upon issues of morality, what it means to be human, and forgiveness. Yes, there is much chopping off of limbs and nudity, but at least there is a story to go along with it. There are points where characters' actions seem unrealistic. For example, Kouta and Yuka (two major characters)... See full review

Overview- Summer Wars was something I had long wanted to see, but never had the opportunity. I was unwilling to pay the $20 to get the DVD on Amazon and eventually saw it through Netflix. I came into the movie with high expectations, which I would say were mostly met. The film was strong in most areas and brilliant in none.   Story- It is the synergy of two things--our protagonist's sojourn at Natsuki's family's residence, and Love Machine's assault on "OZ"--that make up this story. If you haven't read a synopsis previously, Kenji is an extremely wimpy kid (in my opinion) who pretends to... See full review

I came into Shakugan no Shana without much in the way of high hopes. I planned for it to be an "in-between" anime while I waited for the next volume of Code Geass to ship. To my great surprise, however, Shakugan no Shana turned out to be a decent anime. Let me say this first: I'm a complete sucker for romances. Shakugan no Shana is a strange little show, almost "shounen" but not quite. The romance between Yuuji and Shana is a key element. There is action and fighting, but a distinct lack of named attacks or power-ups (though they are not absent entirely). My main complaints in regards... See full review

Story (5/10--average)- Eden of the East definitely feels like it is too short. At only 11 episodes, the series does not have enough time to fully explore the story. Like a rose cut down before it blooms, the plot dies as jejune, pitiful thing. Okay, okay, maybe I'm being too harsh. The story isn't necessarily bad; there is some element of conspiracy and excellent references to 21st century culture. The driving force of the plot is our curiosity regarding Akira's lost memories, mixed in with his blossoming relationships and the conspiracy of Mr. Outside's "game." However...there are many loose... See full review

Soul Eater is, to me, a tale of disappointment--and I'm not referring to the any statement the plot makes on this subject. The series itself squanders its otherwise great potential. It could have been a unique, brilliant anime...instead, it is merely mediocre.   Story- The plot is nothing to write home about. There's some high-school age students enrolled in a special academy. Not a whole lot original in that. There's an evil force out to destroy the world. Yeah, seen that before, too. And of course, this evil force--the Kishin--has to be stopped. In terms of pure plot progression, the story is... See full review

Overview- Shikabane Hime: Kuro (Black) is the continuation of the story from Shikabane Hime: Aka (Red), so this author will assume that readers are familiar with the plot. This season brings the battle between Makina and the Seven Stars to its conclusion. Story- Shikabane Hime: Kuro is more plot-driven than the first season. There are far fewer "random" battles, if any at all; our heroes' main enemies during the course of the show are the Seven Stars (a group of particularly strong Shikabane) themselves. The writers demonstrate reasonable skill, as the pacing and escalation of tension... See full review

Overview- Firstly, 5.5 is not a horrible score on my scale. Five is average, so 5.5 is just above average. Don't be discouraged and think this isn't worth watching. It is--the show simply isn't marvellous in terms of plot elements and character development. That said, I do think I enjoyed Soukou no Strain. I don't watch mecha anime terribly often, but it's not as though I hate the genre. I had seen this series on sale a few times before and decided to try it out. I was pleasantly surprised. Story- This is chiefly a story of loss and revenge in my eyes. Sarah Werec, the protagonist, has her whole life... See full review

Overview- The Gundam series has had many iterations, some good and some bad. The 08th MS Team seems to fit in the middle of that spectrum: it's a solid anime, albeit a little dated. No element is particularly lacking, and no element is particularly amazing. While watching this show, I felt that there was some influence from the Vietnam War. Much of the combat takes place in the jungle, and guerilla warfare is mentioned. That sense was more prevalent in the beginning of the series, however. Instead of American GI's cutting through the jungle, it was Federation Gundams; and, instead of Viet Cong guerillas... See full review

Naruto Shippuden is one of my favorite shows, but the various Naruto movies never seem to exceed the quality of a filler arc. The second Naruto Shippuden movie is no exception.   Story- Based on the title of the movie ("kizuna" means bonds) and the various advertisements showing only Sasuke and Naruto, one might expect some sort of badass fight between the two main characters. This is sadly not the case. Sasuke actually plays a relatively minor role in the plot, showing up briefly in the beginning and for about twenty minutes in the end. He is somewhat friendly in this installment (by... See full review

Introduction- The Sacred Blacksmith is a relatively short series set in a standard fantasy/medieval setting. Cecily Cambell, the main character, is the daughter of a famous knight and holds the same profession as her father. Throughout the series she works to protect the "Independent Trade Cities of Housmand" and acquire a katana from the Sacred Blacksmith, Luke Ainsworth. Story- Alright, alright, Cecily's breasts are large. I get it. Really, I do. Could you please stop reminding me, writers? No? Oh, you have to joke about it every other episode? That's okay, I understand completely. The... See full review