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Story When it comes to Death Note, the masses have spoken: it's a groundbreaking, gripping tale of deceit and intrigue that will keep you at the edge of your seat from start to end. With one of the highest average ratings on Anime-Planet and a level of hype that treads dangerously close to that of Naruto, Death Note has been deemed a "must-see", a "triumph", and "a series that no anime fan should be without". Except that it’s not. I’m not sure if my perception of reality is fatally flawed or if Death Note’s prominent... See full review

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Paranoia Agent is a brilliant, intelligent story that is extremely hard to explain without spoiling. The general story revolves around what you see above: people are being randomly attacked by Shounen Bat. But around episode 5 or 6, a new plotline evolves, which becomes very enthralling and in depth. By the end, fear not, the main idea of the story is revealed, but you are indeed left with many questions, twilight zone style.

In general, the story is presented in an AMAZING way. It's hard to explain why the story flowed as good as it did. Each episode almost seemed like an... See full review

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Full Metal Alchemist takes place in a world that seems similar to our own, but not as technologically advanced. Trains and steam powered engines are used a great deal, and the science of alchemy is far more prevalent than machines of our time. In alchemy, there is the rule of equivalent trade: you must give something of equal value in order to get something. And above all else, human transmutation is against all rules of alchemy, and does not work... or so it seems. Rumors have it that the Philosopher's Stone can give the alchemist the ability to even raise the dead, but it is long since sought... See full review

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Prior to watching GANTZ, there were only two anime that I had seen that made me think "SHOCK VALUE": Elfen Lied, and Narutaru. While Narutaru excels in psychological shock value (episode 12, anyone?), Elfen Lied excels in "oh my god I can’t believe that body part just got ripped off of their body" shock value. GANTZ definitely rivals Elfen Lied with its grotesque nature, but is definitely stronger due to how nonstop the gore, violence and sexual undertones are displayed. While Elfen Lied only has sections dedicated to brutal violence, GANTZ is a nonstop assault on the senses with scenes of... See full review

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Let me just start out by saying that if you have watched one episode of Gungrave and then put it down, thinking it was a ripoff of another well-known series (which I won't name, for spoiling purposes), or just didn't look interesting, think again. Granted, I usually don't base my opinion on a single episode, but there are surely a lot of you out there who have done just that for Gungrave, and know exactly what I'm talking about. Read this review with an open mind, and realize that the episodes which follow are VERY, VERY different in plot. Also, I would suggest not reading many (if any) reviews... See full review

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When I was 21 and a great deal more naive, I was in a relationship that I shouldn’t have been in, with a man who was not right for me. He was a player, spoke sweet nothings into my ear and set off multitudes of red flags in my mind; nevertheless, I couldn’t resist, and was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. It ended, of course, in a less than desirable manner, and I questioned myself for some time as to why I let myself become involved. If you are a woman, odds are you’ve had a similar kind of experience. Perhaps it’s for this reason that watching Paradise Kiss... See full review

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Azumanga Daioh is a show about nothing, literally. Think of it like Seinfeld, but with high school girls and more hilarity, and you've got all the bases covered. The episodes revolve around six girls and their daily life at a high school, which always ends up being random in some way.

The comic formula is hilarious, and is almost flawless. Many scenes will make you scratch your head and wonder "eh?" while simultaneously laughing, while other scenes make you laugh by repeating the same thing over and over and over and over, far past the point where you think it should have just... See full review

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In the streets of Tokyo, demons walk amongst us, but only they know we exist. The protector of the city is Karas, a man who transforms into a crow-armored persona when evil threatens humanity. Saying much more about the plot of Karas would be borderline spoiling (don’t worry, the AniRec description doesn’t spoil), so that’s really all you need to know. Creatures are draining humans of blood, and a sinister villain wants to take control of Tokyo. Who better to stop the nefarious plans than Karas?

Karas is touted as being like Batman Begins, and that’s a damn accurate... See full review

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Ahh, Ergo Proxy. You stole my heart like a thief in the night and promised such visions of grandeur that I could hardly wait to see what came next. Why, oh why, must you have disappointed me so? There are so many things wrong with Ergo Proxy that it's hard to begin. First, the parallels between it and Ghost in the Shell: Innocence are eerily uncanny; both have an empty and vacuous excuse of a story, combined with stunning visuals to distract you from the blatant stench. The problem is that while GITS2 was terrible from the get-go, Ergo Proxy begins with a drool-inducing bang that ends up being... See full review

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First and foremost, I want to say how difficult this review is to write, because I didn’t like FLCL that much at all. But, I can still see it for what it is: a great piece of work, so I have to adjust my scores accordingly and not simply rate low based on my own preference. That being said, I am going to write myself off as one of the many people who "didn’t get it" (re: the story) after seeing this one time through. FLCL is NOT something to watch if you want a cut and dry story, or even a confusing story that eventually makes sense. I like confusing stories, I really do. Take Paranoia... See full review

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Kare Kano was recommended to me by quite a few people as another good look at relationships, in a realistic way. Perhaps I expected too much, but I came into it thinking it would be a relationship series. I was wrong.

While the first under 10 episodes do focus primarily on the two main characters becoming involved, barely any serious mention of the relationship happens after the fact. There are a few minor exceptions later on, but the overall tone changes quickly from "wow, this could be a great relationship series", to "random filler comedy". Keep in mind, the comedy isn't even... See full review

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It should be said that regardless of the description, Narutaru has two very distinct sections to it (that aren't really integrated at all, for that matter). The first 7-8 episodes revolve around Shiina and Akira with their dragonets, and the web of destruction and death they are drawn into because of them. Sound dark? IT IS. What's funny is that the first episode makes you think something totally different. I watched episode 1 and remember coming away from it thinking this would be a light series, perhaps slice of life. In the episode, Shiina finds Hoshimaru on the beach, and that's about it... See full review

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Wow. The word flowed through my mind at a snail's pace as I absorbed what I had just seen, as the ending credits to Hinotori scrolled down the screen. Have you ever watched an anime that’s hard to pay attention to? When it’s really hard to force yourself to finish it at all, let alone quickly? You know the type: a genre you dislike, a boring storyline, or anything in between – you don’t like it, and you don’t want to have to finish the series. On the other hand, occasionally you find a gem which, for some reason, sucks you in and demands your attention. You can’t wait to watch... See full review

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It always irritates me when I watch something that has a misleading title. For example, if "Scary Blood Fest of Evil" ends up being a light school kid comedy about love and relationships, I’ll be a little annoyed. Equally as offensive is something called "Funny Pets" which didn’t up being funny at all. Watching ants crawl all over my foot and bite me a million times would be funnier. Making a delicious ham sandwich, only to have it stolen by rabid boar and devoured would be funnier. Watching rats eat themselves would be funnier. Vomiting all over my pants on a... See full review

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As an important introduction to this review, I have not read the Earthsea novels; in addition, I generally am not impressed with the majority of Studio Ghibli titles. Spirited Away is a classic in its own right, and I did also enjoy Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service; most of the other titles, however, did nothing for me. These points are perhaps important as the two major complaints I keep reading about in relation to Gedo Senki are not related to the actual plot, character development, or animation; rather, the complaints are either "It doesn't feel like a Ghibli... See full review

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Set in present day (some years ago, of course), Mima is a well-loved pop idol who loves singing in Cham, a somewhat-unknown singing group who still manage to have a great deal of admirers -- as well as an expected amount of fanboy stalkers. In a career move that stumps all who know her, Mima decides to become an actress, leaving her idol lifestyle behind -- and thus the downward spiral begins. With newfound fame comes obsession, and Mimirun seems to have acquired her own dangerous stalker set on convincing her to return to her old role. With death threats, letter bombs, and a website... See full review

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On the foundation Stellvia, young people train for the most important mission of mankind: protect the solar system from a devastating shockwave. Close to two hundred years ago, a supernova sent an initial shockwave that destroyed the Earth, prompting the survivors to design the Great Mission that will save humanity from being utterly annihilated. The story of Stellvia follows a bright-eyed and talented cadet who is lovingly known as Shipon, as she makes new friends, experiences life on the foundation, and most importantly, discovers her place in history.

You can think of... See full review

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I’ve been putting off this review for a few days now, because I haven’t been able to think of a good place to start. Normally I’d start out the story section with a longer version of the synopsis listed above, but it’s hard to do so without spoiling the twists and turns of Mai HiME. Thus, I’ll have to go about things a little differently this time... Mai HiME starts out feeling like a typical (though darker) magical girl type series. We are introduced to a variety of characters who all attend (or will start to attend) the same prestigious academy. Some of these... See full review

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Jing is 100% episodic. There, I said it. If you are reading this and are suddenly not interested, stop reading now and go pick up Juuni Kokki. Else, let's continue...

Jing is the world's best thief and is known for his desire to capture the most beautiful and unique treasures in the world. His pal, Kir, is a talking bird who loves the women, and follows him wherever he goes. King of Bandit Jing follows Jing and Kir as they travel to various towns and places, as they try to steal a different one-of-a-kind treasure. As mentioned, this is an episodic series. There is no central plot... See full review

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Cat Soup is a bizarre and abstract look at the lives of two young kittens, as they peruse the land of the dead. Then again, knowing that information is hard to discern from watching it once, and odds are, had you not read any review or description, you may have not picked up that fact at all. There is no dialogue in Cat Soup, except random noises used for the characters talking with occasional subtitles (in Japanese characters). Usually these words are very simple, not even full sentences. The story is told primarily through the visuals, and again, are very abstract, making it hard to... See full review

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Boobs, jiggles and endless groping? Not for me, thanks. It's no secret that ecchi anime aren't my cup of tea – at least, they weren't until I stumbled upon Queen's Blade, a gem of a series that shows all women out there, especially the young and impressionable girls of the next generation, that any lady worth her pound of flesh had better be showing a lot of it. Sure, there are more innuendos and over-the-top naked breasts than you can shake a 'stick' at, but with such strong imagery and admirable moral lessons, I cannot in good conscience overlook this empowering series that will delight... See full review

Just checked out Bakemonogatari 1-4. It definitely piqued my interest, though I'm not sure if its pros outweighed the cons.Pros:Extremely interesting animation - combining all sorts of styles (hard to explain what I mean) in a very symbolic ways. Gorgeous scenery, and very cinematic in a way. Quirky, appropriate musicWitty dialogue (though this is also a negative, see below)An intro that changes depending on the character of the day - I loved the stapler in the intro for episode 2, as an example. Cons:Bakemonogatari is a textbook case of 'too... See full review

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Oh lord.In my endless quest to add as many things to the AniRec, I picked up Angel's Feather. Not only is it a short OVA, but it's also shounen-ai - a genre which usually means no one will add it unless I do it myself. I guess there's one silver lining on the cloud: at least it was only two episodes.See, the title "Angel's Feather" is actually incorrect. I have good authority to say that the real title is actually "BOS Feather" (bag of shit feather), as nothing that is good and pure would have such a putrid stench to it. Folks, this is about as generic as it... See full review

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On the surface, Hitsuji no Uta might appear to be just another vampire series, but deep down, it goes into fairly dark territory involving family histories and gruesome secrets galore. Young Kazuna has found his life turned upside down when the cravings begin -- and things go downhill from there. When meeting up with his long lost sister, Chizuna, he realizes that he is not alone in his family's curse, and she may be the only one who can save him...

I think the thing I liked the most about Hitsuji no Uta is that it was a fairly unique vampire series; that is, unique as far as what... See full review

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When I first picked up Diary of Tortov Roddle, I had no idea what it was about. Studio 4C is my favorite studio and the group JollyRoger has put out many of their works and shorts. Thus, when they released this newfound gem, I knew I had to watch it. Luckily, it was just as good as I had hoped it would be.

Shown with no dialogue whatsoever (except the printed words of Tortov's diary), Diary of Tortov Roddle follows a thin and wiry man named (you guessed it!) Tortov Roddle, on his adventures through whatever mystical land he inhabits. We are treated to six different quiet... See full review

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What do the following things have in common: eating my leg off with teeth that have been ground down to stumps, shoving ham sandwiches in my nose and mouth until I die of suffocation, and slowly peeling my toenails off with toothpicks? Answer: things I'd rather do than come near Angelique again. From the depths of hell comes Angelique, an OVA that reminds us that there truly is not a god for making us watch something this terrible. I feel ill just writing this review, but I feel it's my civic duty to let you all know what a steaming pile of shit this OVA is, so you can avoid it like the... See full review

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Violence and nudity lovers unite -- Elfen Lied has been created just for you! Really though, although there is somewhat of a plot to speak of, the main focus of Elfen Lied is the shock value, plain and simple. The somewhat thin plot revolves around the fact that a certain type of people exist that have horns (dubbed Diclonius). These creatures become terribly violent and homocidal, causing those who sit in power to worry. Lucy is one of these creatures who escapes from a maximum security facility (leaving much carnage in her path), and washes up (naked and bloody, no less) on a beach where the... See full review

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When I started watching Yumeria, I really had no idea what I was in for. I had heard rumors it was a sci fi series, and others that it was of the ecchi variety. Nevertheless, I decided to just pop it in and see what happened. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed.

Don’t get me wrong, the first few episodes aren’t that bad at all. The series opens with Tomokazu narrating the fact that it’s his birthday. He falls asleep and wakes up in a dream world where pointy robotic creatures of sorts are flying around causing mayhem. Enter Mone, an absolutely obnoxious little girl... See full review

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This beautiful tale was created by Studio 4C, the makers of Comedy, End of the World, and other titles. The important thing to note is that Princess Arete is not a story based heavily on plot, but rather, heavy (but subtle) character development, beautiful imagery, and most importantly: ideas and concepts about our roles in life, life itself, and sacrifices we each make. Arete is a princess who has been imprisoned in a tower her entire life, not able to learn or experience life as she wishes. Occasionally she sneaks out of the tower and goes to the village below, where she is able to blend as a... See full review

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I love cyberpunk. I dress like it, read about it, and am enamored with anything related to it. For god’s sake, I’m covered in cyborg tattoos because I’ve been obsessed with becoming a cyborg since I was 10, and since I can’t physically, I might as well look like it superficially. Thus, people have been telling me for years that I’d love Armitage, yet I put it off until today. The moral of the story? Listen to your friends more often.

Armitage III takes place on Mars, in a dark and futuristic city. Androids, amongst other things, serve as housekeepers, babysitters, and... See full review