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I confess that I have a bit of a thing for short anime series. Whenever I spot any new offerings that have episodes of five minutes or less I tend to jump on them, since they’re just enough to satisfy that anime craving and handy for slotting in when I only have a few moments to spare. So, having been out of the loop for a few months, I decided to ease myself back in with the latest bitesize chunk of fun, Recorder to Randoseru. Unfortunately, my return to anime wasn’t met with a glorious fanfare, but more of a... See full review
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There are many varying forms of random anime out there from Gag Manga Biyori to Haré & Guu, but when it comes to reviewing them I never know quite how to tackle it and do the shows justice. So this time, I’ve decided that I’m not even going to attempt it. Instead, with Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, I have decided to embrace the randomness and will let fate decide what I write and... See full review
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Spring 2011 was bursting with several opportunities to overwhelm the fandom with awesome. But while the likes of Hen Zemi and Maria Holic Alive left little to be desired, the standout hit of the season came from an unexpected source: Hanasaku Iroha – a tale about a young girl named Ohana going to work at Kissuiso, her... See full review
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Last year, I discovered a fun, albeit dumb, little series called Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu. While not a grand masterpiece, it was highly entertaining and easy to watch, so when series two was released I was looking forward to more of the same idiotic fun, battles and nosebleeds. Sadly, Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu Ni became little more than another example of when sequels suck.
In no uncertain terms, the plotline’s quality has dropped... See full review
Story Not long ago something happened on the Anime-Planet forums: after a simple buddy watch spawned an epic thread in a matter of days, an obscure series called Popee the Performer developed into a cult-like phenomenon. I dedicate this review to that brave group who sacrificed their very sanity to make it through thirty-nine episodes of the most brain-meltingly awful anime ever made. In a deserted circus far, far away lives an eager young performing artist named Popee and... See full review
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Daikichi is a single thirty-year-old man whose elderly grandfather has just died leaving behind his secret, illegitimate six-year-old daughter, Rin. When his family treats the girl like a leper and considers giving her to the state, Daikichi, disgusted at their behaviour, announces that he will take her in and raise her himself; thus begins his journey on the road to parenthood. I won’t lie, not a lot happens. The show simply follows Rin and Daikichi... See full review
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Weekly Shounen Jump is probably the most well-known manga magazine to Westerners. It has spawned many of our favourite shounen series from Dragonball and Naruto to Slam Dunk and Sket Dance, but have you ever wondered what it takes to earn a prestigious slot in this behemoth publication?
... See full review
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While I may be one of Anime-Planet’s resident shounen whores, I do love a good bit of comedy slice-of-life. Sadly, I’ve been somewhat underwhelmed by several of the industry’s more recent offerings. As such, I didn’t go into A Channel expecting much, and even then I was still disappointed.
As with the many moe adaptations of 4-koma manga, A Channel doesn’t have much in the way of an actual plotline. The series focuses primarily on ... See full review
Story Throughout the course of the year, I often pick up series that I wouldn’t normally for the sole purpose of filling out the entry information here on Anime Planet. It’s an interesting experiment as I never know what I’m going to find. Occasionally I stumble across a real gem, sometimes I fall face first into a pile of donkey dung, but most series, like Shinrei Tantei Yakumo, leave me with a distinct feeling of “meh”. Yakumo is a... See full review
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I put off watching Ore no Imouto while it aired. The surrounding hype and endless references or comments such as “my cosplay can’t be this cute”, “my rollerskating dog can’t be this funny” or “my home made dung bomb can’t stink this bad” were beginning to grate. So despite my interest in the series – and the protests of my relatively picky best friend claiming that it was awesome – I deferred. While maybe not as awesomely brilliant as... See full review
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One dark, stormy night when Cassie was somewhat tipsy, the evil Patchworth decided to take advantage of the poor inebriated maiden. After whispering sweet nothings of pacing, characterisation and voice actors in her ear, they joined forces. The result of this illicit tryst? Well, you’re reading it.
Set in an idyllic, westernizing Japan, Otome Youkai Zakuro chronicles the activities of the newly-minted Ministry of Spirit Affairs. The government agency ostensibly... See full review
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Vampires have always been a staple antagonist in horror, from early films such as Nosferatu, through to Bella Lugosi’s notorious Dracula and even Gary Oldman’s incarnation of the blood-sucking count. Recently, with the brooding emo Twilight bunch pissing off half the world and the sexed-up vamps of True Blood shagging their way across our screens, it seems that the infamous creatures of the night are going through yet another heyday. So when faced with a new anime featuring these overused undead creations, you may be tempted to roll your eyes, and tut... See full review
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With its deliciously dark overtones and black humour, the first series of Kuroshitsuji was possibly my favourite anime of the Fall 2008 season. At the announcement of a sequel featuring a brand new master and butler, I was concerned that the franchise was merely milking the bishie fangirl cow. Sadly, it seems my fears were justified.
More erratic than a Jackson Pollack painting, the beginning of Kuroshitsuji II doesn’t attempt to make any sense. The first episode... See full review
Story: Chrono Crusade, a series heavily based in religious tradition. For those unfamiliar with the Catholic faith and its mythology, this could seem a little alien, but have no fear, Azmaria’s here with her version of ‘Chrono Crusade for Dummies’. While some of the content is relatively interesting – by explaining actual historical facts about both the religious aspect of the series and the historical – it really reminds me of listening to a short lecture. As such, it can seem a bit dull at times, and isn’t always the easiest thing to watch. “The story is... See full review
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When I first heard that a new series of Fullmetal Alchemist was to hit our screens in spring 2009, I admit that I approached it with trepidation. I loved the 2002 version, thought it ended well and, after believing the film had ruined it somewhat, I was praying that a second season wouldn’t besmirch the franchise any further. When I learned that this new anime was a re-telling that actually sticks to the manga’s plot, I was suddenly much more interested.
While initially it’s easy to fall into the trap of constantly comparing the first... See full review
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CLAMP. Known for its crossovers, varied art styles, and
underlying themes of fate, love and inevitability. While xxxHolic is
infamous for its tie-ins with Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, this first
instalment of the former’s anime franchise requires no previous knowledge of
the escapades of Sakura and Syaoran. Instead, this twenty-four episode series
hones in on the day-to-day... See full review
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Thinking back on my personal history of anime, Law of
Ueki was one of my first shounen series (the earliest being Bleach back when it was all plot and no filler). So I’ve found that revisiting this
show after much more experience in the genre and far more episodes than I’d
care to calculate has been an interesting experience.
It’s been twenty-five years since the current God came into
power and now the time has come to select who will take over. The method of
choice is the... See full review
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I’ve been watching anime for about five years now and
recently I’ve been on a spree of re-watching some of my favourites from the
earlier series I saw. Among them is Studio Deen’s 2003 title, Tactics –
one of my first ventures into the world of supernatural anime.
Set in the Taisho period of Japan (1912-1926), Tactics follows Kantaro Ichinomiya, a young folklorist who has been searching for a
legendary monster – the demon-eating tengu... See full review
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A dark moonlit night, a chorus of frogs croaking in harmony,
the sound of wind rushing through the tall grass, and a welcoming gift of two
cats eyeballs in a box. Sounds like a pretty good way to start a series to me!
Since his parents died just before he was born, Kitarou is
now the last surviving member of the mysterious Ghost Tribe. Luckily, he isn’t
alone in the world, as he has an unwilling human named Mizuki acting as his
guardian (and cash cow), and his father has managed to semi-survive death... See full review
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Wrong hole! That’s the wrong hole!
If the above statement seems utterly harmless, then I
congratulate you on not being a filthy minded perv. For those who started
picturing lewd acts in your head, number one: seek help, and number two:
welcome to the world of Ebichu!
This anime follows the misadventures of a ten-dollar talking
hamster, her master, and those around her. However, do not expect a
family-friendly treat about a cutesy animal doing housework as this entire show
is about sex. Essentially the ‘plot’ plays out like a running... See full review
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Martial arts
aren’t my bag. I’ve never held an interest in them, but after a while of being
told that I’d love History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi and the fact
that I’m a complete shounen whore, I just had to give it a go.
With a nickname
like ‘Weak legs’, high school boy Kenichi Shirahama has very little going for
him. However with a desire to become stronger and a desire to learn martial
arts techniques, he... See full review
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When most people think of Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki’s films
tend to jump out and thwack you round the face in all their gorgeously animated
glory, but what many may not realise is that Isao Takahata brings an equally
impressive portfolio or work to the table. Part of the reason for my adoration
of both the company’s founders comes from Takahata’s preference of placing
greater focus on the Japanese way of life, its history, and mythology – and
never has this been more prevalent than in his 1994 feature presentation, ... See full review
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I admit that when I first sat down to episode one of Kuuchuu
Buranko I hated it. I spent the entire twenty-four minutes with a look of
utter bemusement upon my face that had previously been reserved for Big Brother
launch nights. However, instead of watching the dregs of society grin and
swagger their way through a sea of cheering freaks and booing idiots, I was
staring at a bizarre lime green bear getting his rocks off by stalking his
patients and giving them vitamin shots. Needless to say I was ready to give up,
but then came episode two &ndash... See full review
Story:I must be a failure as a woman, because I didn't realise that there were SO MANY different ways to expose your breasts.Animation:So much bouncing. So many shiny nipples. It's like the shangri-la of boobs! (Though Tamamo's mahoosive nips border on the disturbing)Sound:Plenty of cheesy music to go with the various "photoshoot" episodes, not that any male is likely to be paying any attention to what he can hear at this point... Of course, when there's no music there are plenty of orgasmic noises, squelches and boings to titilate and satisfy even the most sexually-repressed guys out... See full review
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I don’t normally go for full on drama anime. I especially
don’t actively seek out survival or disaster series. However, hearing many good
things about Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 piqued my interest, so I left the
shounen on the shelf and the comedy in the cupboard and decided to give it a
go. Little did I know that I would marathon the entire series in one evening
and be so emotionally moved that my eyes... See full review
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About a year ago, Sothis approached me and helpfully pointed
the way to two Shounen Jump Anime Tour specials from 2008 in the hopes of
persuading me to write up their entries. The first was One Piece: Romance
Dawn Story, which I jumped on like a horny teenager; the second was Letter
Bee: Light and Blue Night Fantasy. I almost immediately fell in love with
the latter, so when I heard that it was to get a TV series, I couldn’t wait for
the 2009 fall season to begin.
Set in Amberground – a land... See full review
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‘Baka’. It’s an instantly recognisable word that has been
uttered countless times and spans all genres of anime. From the high pitched
squeals of a young girl yelling “Onii-chan no baaaaaakaaaaaa!” to the deadpan
statement of an elite teenager that simply drips with disdain, we’ve heard it
on a million occasions, and will no doubt hear it a myriad more; but never
before has a series taken this phrase under its wing and embraced it quite so
much as Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu.
The series takes place in... See full review
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Picture the scene: you’re relaxing on a tropical beach,
listening to the waves lap at the shore and the parrots squawking in the
jungle. Then, as you sit up and look around, you see a giant red fish with
hairy legs and fishnet stockings running towards you; some dangerous looking
fungi is attempting to make you as high as a kite; and the parrot you thought
you heard is actually some pink flying hippo-horse thing with an endless supply
of blood gushing out its nose. Welcome to Papuwa Island.
Set four years after the original series – Papuwa of the
South Seas – a... See full review
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Before I start, I’d just like to say that this OVA is WEIRD!
Now, I don’t mean in an ‘Oh I say old chap, this is jolly odd’ way, I’m talking
of a sheep wearing roller blades skating around the top of the Eiffel Tower kind
of weird.
Super Kuma-san is set in a plaza where children
gather to play, draw pictures and watch a large blue stuffed bear named
Kuma-san and his clown friend perform their act. Unfortunately, this also
happens to be the crime hotspot of the city, complete with armed bank robberies
and gangs of joy... See full review
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As part of the 2009 Shounen Jump anime tour – which also
brought us the… uhh… “culinary” delights of Toriko – Studio Pierrot
released a twenty-seven minute special – Naruto: The Cross Roads. Now,
from experience I find that most shounen anime uses the same basic ingredients:
one handful of mysterious antagonists, a good dollop of nefarious plotting, a
pinch of teamwork and a generous sprinkling of fighting. Where these series
differ is in... See full review