snivets

Mayo Chiki is about a boy who is afraid of touching women who discovers that the butler of the richest girl in school is actually a girl masquerading as a boy. He is forced to keep their secret, and ends up growing closer with both girls. Story: Not terribly original, standard fare, typical run of beach/school festival/hot springs/etc episodes. The plot is never annoying, and what really keeps you going is wondering if Konoe and Jirou will ever confess to each other. Animation: Nothing special, nothing terrible. Characters: Very solid and entertaining. Definitely the driving force of the show. In... See full review

Marie & Gali is about a young girl who finds herself transported into Galihabara, a magical land where famous scientists of days past are alive and thriving. She meets Galileo, Madame Curie, and others, learning about science in order to go home. Story: The story provides a frame for Marie to learn about some scientific principle or another. Usually involving a ridiculous problem which must be solved, the comedy manages to be both clever and stupidly slapstick. Don't watch this one for a complex plot. Animation: I gave this a slightly higher score because I love love love Pet and Marie's character... See full review

I'll admit to being a pretty big sucker for shoujo, but what really endeared Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun to me was Shizuku's startled reaction, the one where her pigtails stood straight up in the air, as well as Haru's hilariously random behavior. Even better, I think this show is an example of Shoujo Done Right, and is free from a couple obnoxious tropes I will mention later. Story: Lighter on plot and heavier on character development, although it wasn't the huge or meaningful type of development; mostly just looking at the difference between Shizuku in episodes 1 and 12. I thought event sequences/timing were... See full review

Before I begin my review, I'd like to ask for a moment of silence as we mourn the loss of the original animation style. ***************   Thank you. Story: Who watches Moyashimon for the plot? Point being, the plot has never claimed to be amibitious; it's a simple slice of life. But there's nothing bad about it, and sequels can be tough to pull off. It moves forward in small arcs, wherein problems arise and are solved. There's some silly light humor, we never spend too much time in flashback land, and moving the second half's setting to France was a fun twist. Animation: I really wanted to... See full review

As far as shorts go, this one was decent. Story: There wasn't really much of one, the short being only 10 minutes long. As Marimo's classmates recount stories of times she saved them, a group of 5th grade deliquents enters the classroom and challenges Marimo to a duel. Having just heard her say she doesn't like fighting, Marimo's friends attempt to stave off the fight, but she ends up having to save them anyway. After defeating the main boss, she suddenly remembers that she has to water the school flower bed before the end of lunch, and her friends dash off to help her. What I liked about the... See full review