sothis

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

Story
I wanted to like Batman: Gotham Knight; really, I did. When the similarly-constructed The Animatrix was released years ago, I put off watching it only to finally realize how spectacular the collection of shorts really was. Given that success, this time around, I picked up Gotham Knight immediately, eager to see what Studio 4C, MADHOUSE and the other companies came up with. Unfortunately, unlike with The... See full review

Story
What do space detectives, burly men in jaguar masks, demons from another world, man-eating fairies and tentacles have to do with each other? That's right - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. It should come as no surprise, then, that the farce known as Battle Royal High School is as ridiculous as ridiculous can get, comprised of a mishmash of genres and styles so varied that its creators were clearly playing a game of drunken Mad Libs while in the drawing board phase. The first 10ish or so minutes, I kid you not, play out something like this: 1. Guy in jaguar mask fights other guys not in jaguar masks. 2... See full review

Story
According to external sources, B.B. Fish is based on a fifteen-volume manga of the same name. Generally one-episode anime adaptations tend to be too confusing and don't provide enough of a background on the characters and situations to be enjoyable. B.B. Fish, while gorgeous to the eyes, is no exception. With no explanation of who the characters are or why they're interested in what they're doing, you're dropped into the middle of a deep sea dive with Ushio and Sara. Random nakedness and pseudo superpowers ensue, followed by shots of gorgeous scenery. ...what?! But wait, there's more. A... See full review

Story
Sometimes the first five minutes of an anime are all you need to know if it will bore or excite you; but sometimes, these precious minutes end up being nothing but the ultimate fake-out and disappointment. Bus Gamer, in true Ergo Proxy fashion, begins with a bang and a promise of an engaging, high-octane story to come - and then accidentally flushes itself down the toilet, never to be seen again. I loved Gantz. I loved Bokurano. I loved the 90s movie "The Game" starring Michael Douglas. Give me entertainment about people willingly or unwillingly stuck in a game with dire consequences... See full review

Story
NOTE: though I was careful to avoid spoilers in the synopsis and screenshots, this anime is just too hilarious to not put specifics into the review.  I don't necessarily think the things I'll discuss are spoilers compared to what every other site says about the anime (not to mention you find these things out in the first 10 minutes), but be forewarned if you are particularly sensitive. Picture, if you will, a morose scene set in 1580 where an invincible and powerful warrior lunges at limber ninja and samurai, striking them down when they stand. In a desperate attempt to bring him... See full review

Story
Boys Be is a set of tales that encompass many of a group of friends in high school. With a storytelling that is very similar to Kita-he, each episode or few episodes is dedicated to explaining a new relationship or situation with one of the people of the group. The focal point is definitely Koichi and Chiharu, though... two budding lovers who will experience great joy and sadness. While each story is seperate, they all still remain interconnected through each other's friendship and companionship. This is a step away from Kita-he, where the characters are COMPLETELY seperate. The stories are... See full review

Story
After the events of Blue Seed, the Aragami have been destroyed, and the world is safe. Unfortunately, this relatively short period of peace is upset when the Aragami return, this time on the other side of the world in San Francisco! Of course, Momiji and co. go there to check out the threat, and thus the story begins.

Blue Seed 2 has some major, major problems. First of all, I’ve never seen a several part OVA (as a sequel to a TV series) work. From Fushigi Yuugi to DNA to El Hazard Magnificent World 2, these standalone arcs always seem boring and uninteresting, and in general... See full review

Story
Burn Up W takes place in Tokyo, and revolves around a group of girls who make up Warrior, an undercover police force that takes the cases the normal cops can't handle. Unlike some cop shows that focus on different stories, Burn Up W focuses on one arc that involves terrorists who want to do various nefarious things.

After seeing Burn Up (and enjoying it), I was excited to check out the next thing chronologically, Burn Up W. Needless to say I was very disappointed, and hopefully by the end of reading this you'll know why. Let's start with the type of show this is. Burn Up was a... See full review

Story
Taking place in Earth, in what seems to be the 80s, Blue Seed follows the story of a young woman named Momiji as she learns of her fate as the Kushinada. Japan is under attack by Aragami, creatures that appear to be monsters, but the general public doesn’t know much about these occurences. The Kushinada is supposed to be fated to be sacrificed, because only the Kushinada can make all the Aragami disappear. For bumbling Momiji, this means being thrown into a life of monster hunting, as well as being paired up with the unlikeliest of partners: Kusanagi, a part human part Aragami fellow. ... See full review

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Burn Up is a 45 minute OVA that definitely feels like the first episode of a TV series, that leaves you wanting more...

In the city, a high tech police force is on the prowl for bandits and bad guys, and three women, Reimi, Yuka, and Maki, are some of the best cops the force has ever seen. A recent rash of kidnappings has been reported -- kidnappings that lead to young girls being forced to become sex slaves. The trio goes undercover, and alas, Yuka is kidnapped! Action and ass-kicking ensues, as the remaining two women try to rescue Yuka AND take down the bad guy.

An... See full review

Story
Let's be honest -- even though Blood the Last Vampire might be a great thing to watch, it isn't exactly swimming in plot. The little we know is that a young woman named Saya is one of the last original vampires, and works for the police department hunting down rogue demons and vampires alike. Her newest assignment places her at a local high school, where mysterious murders have been taking place. Unfortunately, that's about it. Throw in some additional vampires, a school nurse, and some neat chase scenes/fights, and you have the entirety of Blood.

Luckily, even though the plot... See full review

Story
Baby Love unfortunately suffers from the young adult codependant love interest syndrome. While normal and stable adolescents/teenagers might have a crush that lasts awhile, most (at least I hope) don't become completely obsessive and secretive about convincing someone to look their way. In addition, I rarely hear 16 year olds talking about how they would die for someone they barely know, and only met briefly when they were 12. But for anime, especially romance ones? This is totally fair game, as it is in the case of Baby Love. For the obsessive nature it reminded me quite a bit of Fashion Boy... See full review