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vivafruit

  • Boulder, CO
  • Joined Nov 27, 2004
  • 38 / M
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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Jun 27, 2011

Shounen anime tend to be like Kraft cheese singles; they taste delicious when you are young, but as you get older you realize they are actually awful and have too much filler. I kind of miss the days when I could watch Naruto and enjoy it, but there are only so many meandering, waste-of-time 100 episode wankoffs that a person can reasonably enjoy before they become completely jaded. Have you read my sappy, cloying review of One Piece? I actually hate that show now. Given this, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is something of a miracle. Unlike 99% of shounen anime (including the original Fullmetal... See full review

?/10 story
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9/10 overall

Angel Beats!

Apr 7, 2011

Story
Angel Beats borrows ingredients that are achingly familiar and mashes them into something miraculously entertaining. The series cheerfully rips off Suzumiya Haruhi's titular character, adds her to a Sunrise-inspired ensemble cast, and plunks them into a rehash of Haibane Renmei's basic premise. There's an all-girl rockband, a shy warrior angel, and even a dude who hypnotizes people... See full review

6.5/10 story
9/10 animation
9/10 sound
6.5/10 characters
6.5/10 overall

Glass Mask (2005)

Jan 16, 2011

Here's an interesting hypothetical: how much can a terribad ending ruin an otherwise watchable 51 episode series? I'm not about to waste a five-dollar reviewer word like "captivating" on the narrative, but at the same time I can't say I was bored. There is a somewhat shounen-esque theme of powering up throughout the series, except that in this show, the heroines are powering up their ACTING. Of course the premise is ridiculous, but it works to a surprising degree... up until that ending. At that point, all the build up over the first 45 or so episodes is squandered. The absurd progression of... See full review

?/10 story
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6.5/10 overall

Kimi ni Todoke - From Me To You

Jun 6, 2010

Have you ever craved fast food? Well, there's an anime-related analogue; sometimes, all I want to see is some cheesy shoujo. I don't always want a hip crossover title like Nana, or a "normal" male-oriented romcom ala Toradora. No no no, sometimes, all I want are episodes where the characters do nothing but talk about their feelings. Sometimes, all I want are too-perfect boys that sparkle when they smile. Sometimes, all I want is a story about a girl that overcomes hardship with the power of FRIENDSHIP. Sometimes, all I want is a goddamn shoujo. Kimi ni Todoke will scratch that itch, if you let... See full review

?/10 story
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7.5/10 overall

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Quiet Country Cafe

Oct 19, 2009

When I started watching Quiet Country Café, I was almost positive that the anime would be pretty much identical to the original anime in mood and tone. I was fully ready to post up a 4 sentence review saying something along the lines of, “This is exactly the same as the original. If you liked the original OVA, you’ll like this one too.” However, what I found was something that’s actually quite different, in its own subtle fashion. As I stated in my review of the original work, I found the original Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou’s mood to not only be calm and... See full review

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7/10 overall

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

Oct 19, 2009

To call Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou “slice-of-life” is quite the understatement, for this anime is not merely a “slice” of life; it’s the entire goddamn pie. Never before have I seen an anime that so single-mindedly focused on realism. The anime has no conflict whatsoever, but instead relies entirely on the general mood of the show to entertain the audience. What, exactly, is the mood of the show? Good question. Some may make the case that the anime is cheerful, but this, in my opinion, is not entirely true. While watching the show, I was also struck by an overwhelming... See full review

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6/10 overall

Wolf's Rain

Oct 19, 2009

What is perhaps most interesting about this one is how close the anime comes to being a classic without ever actually becoming one. While watching Wolf's Rain, there were numerous times in which I could see the anime approaching the kind of exhilarating grandeur found in titles like Cowboy Bebop and Crest of the Stars. However, the show would always back away at the last minute, as if an invisible wall were preventing it from progressing any further. The anime certainly starts on the right track. I remember fondly of the days in which the average review rating on animenfo for Wolf's Rain was 9.8... See full review

?/10 story
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7/10 overall

The Rose of Versailles

Oct 19, 2009

Rose of Versailles starts strongly. Aside from introducing a likeable set of characters, the show sets the stage in a promising setting: France, in the years leading up to the French Revolution. Unfortunately, some absolutely asinine directing prevents the show from being anything but mediocre. The major problem with Rose of Versailles is not the general story in and of itself, but the delivery. Over the course of the anime, the show is sure to include several (repetitive) segments that focus on the desperate cries of the underprivileged, the tragic oversights of the ruling class, the... See full review

?/10 story
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6.5/10 overall

Mermaid Forest TV

Oct 19, 2009

The "horror" genre in anime has pretty much become a misnomer over the years; rather than attempting to be scary in any way, shape, or form, the animes almost always attempt to develop a slow, interesting and gruesome story. When the genre works well, it fosters a kind of morbid fascination in the viewer. Despite the fact that not a lot is happening in these shows, what does happen can be very interesting indeed. However, when the genre fails, the anime comes across as cheesy, predictable, and boring. Every horror anime walks a very fine line between being appealingly dark and appallingly... See full review

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6/10 overall

Super Kuma-san

Oct 19, 2009

I was joking with someone the other day that I’d rather watch weird anime than good anime, and then almost immediately afterwards I found myself watching this little number. Before I begin, I think it’s necessary to say that the sole redeeming quality of this show is that it’s bizarre. For some, this might be enough. Others… not so much.  When I say this is strange, I mean that, as someone who actively searches out this kind of stuff, this is the strangest thing I’ve seen since Cat Soup, three years ago. It’s simply mind-boggling that something like this... See full review

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6/10 overall

Slam Dunk

Oct 19, 2009

Why would I ever watch sports anime when I can just watch sports in real life? Immediatedly after learning that sports animes exist, this is probably a newcomer's most common reaction. Indeed, the argument is a sound one - why waste time on unrealistic, cheesy, and above all lengthy animes when the actual sports that they mimic are often so dreadfully boring? The answer, of course, is that what makes sports animes so good is not their mimicry of reality, but their enhancement of it. For one, the characters of a sports anime show are always much more likeable than the fluid injecting, pill pushing... See full review

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6/10 overall

Planetes

Oct 19, 2009

Perhaps the most interesting anime to compare Planetes to is Last Exile - not for the similarities between the two, but for the differences. The two animes both attempt to show an alternate, futuristic world with a large cast of characters, but the actual approaches are radically different. With Last Exile, we are plunged into a chaotic world of war, intrigue, and power games. The first few episodes are incredibly bewildering (albeit in a good way), and we feel totally enveloped in the fantastically imaginative world that the anime is taking place in. Planetes, on the other hand, seems to almost... See full review

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8/10 overall

The Cat Returns

Oct 19, 2009

I’m pretty sure Ghibli is one of the only studios on earth capable of taking a storyline like this one’s and making something worthwhile out of it. The plot has a kind of meandering, silly quality to it that could easily have turned to tedium, but no; from the seemingly boundless resources at Ghibli’s disposal, the studio makes the movie work as a creative, lighthearted, and ultimately endearing show. Admittedly, the anime lacks some of the heartfelt poignancy found in some of the Ghibli’s better works (ie. Whisper of the Heart, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, etc.)... See full review

?/10 story
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7/10 overall

Cat Soup

Oct 19, 2009

I think of all the animes that have been made in Japan's history, Cat Soup is one of the hardest to review. What the hell can one say about something so incredibly bizarre? With mainstream anime, it's generally possible to talk about things like "plot," "characters," or "moral message." Cat Soup flies in the face of such unnecessary baggage. The anime has no recognizable story, the characters have no names and almost no dialogue, and the OVA as a whole doesn't even begin to make any sort of sense. Even with the similarly constructed Angel's Egg, one has an ample... See full review

?/10 story
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8/10 overall

Whisper of the Heart

Oct 19, 2009

For a good while now, in every review, I have always tried to explain exactly why I liked or disliked an anime. As time has shown, this is one of the more maddening principles that I have taken up. Occassionally, a case comes up in which I am at a complete loss to understand what factors influenced my opinion. Whisper of the Heart is such an anime. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind about whether this movie is good. On the contrary, I am absolutely certain that WotH is a classic, and needs to be seen by everyone. What does perplex me, however, is exactly what makes this anime so incredibly... See full review

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8.5/10 overall

Kurau: Phantom Memory

Oct 19, 2009

Kurau makes an honest attempt at being a heartfelt action/drama hybrid, but shoddy character development and slow pacing prevent the show from actually succeeding. Although steps are taken to give each character a back-story, the results more often than not feel forced and unnatural. A lot of this can be attributed to the fact that the characters are somewhat unoriginal, and have little attributes to differentiate them from other anime characters. A lot more can be attributed to the absolutely hideous dialogue. At its best, the characters' exchanges do nothing but develop the plot. At their... See full review

?/10 story
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4.5/10 overall

Jyu-Oh-Sei

Oct 15, 2009

I had extremely high hopes for Juuousei after the first couple of episodes. The series efficiently sets up its premise, characters and world in an extremely short amount of time, after which the anime rockets off on an extremely promising storyline. Indeed, the first half of the series is excellent. For one, the characters after episode one are all initially likeable. None of them are particularly deep, but the character designs are excellent and the seiyuu do a good job. More importantly, the pacing of the early episodes is flat out fantastic. Unlike some shows, which half-wittingly bumble... See full review

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6/10 overall

The Twelve Kingdoms

Oct 15, 2009

What particular qualities make a human being worthy of power? What particular qualities make a human being worthy of life? Can a person who is morally righteous and good be at the same time incompetent in leadership? One of the many strengths of Juuni Kokuki is how it spends much of its time answering these questions. Throughout the show, these questions are not only addressed, but are tackled with exuberance. The end result is a philosophical commentary that is unexpectedly perceptive and interesting in its analysis. Another major point in Juuni Kokuki's favor lies in its absolutely... See full review

?/10 story
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8/10 overall

They Were Eleven

Oct 15, 2009

They Were Eleven is a prime example of what awesome old-school anime should be: a work that overcomes its dated animation and sound through the sheer awesomeness of its over-arching story. Many "classics" of yesteryear have become obsolete due to their reliance on animation that has long since become absolutely awful. They Were Eleven avoids this pitfall neatly; although the animation is by no means sloppy, the clear focus is on the story, where all their efforts go towards providing extremely taut suspense. For the most part, they succeed. Like Black Jack (another anime that not... See full review

?/10 story
?/10 animation
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7.5/10 overall

Interlude

Oct 15, 2009

Introduction People seem to be having trouble differentiating anime that’s actually intelligent from anime that merely pretends to be, and Interlude is a fine example of this phenomenon. The show is a rather sorry piece of work that attempts to be “deep” merely by being confusing, and yet many seem to believe that there is merit here. Trust me: there isn't. Animation Overall, I was disappointed by the animation. Character designs are decidedly unoriginal and unappealing, and the show uses a lot of repeated footage (there are several recap segments that actually recap what... See full review

?/10 story
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4/10 overall

Lament of the Lamb

Oct 15, 2009

Sometimes, an anime doesn’t need anything except for pure style. Hellsing had its bloodshot skies, Noir had its pounding, pulsating soundtrack, Big O had the comic book world and SoulTaker had absolutely mindbending visuals. As well as the ones I’ve mentioned, countless other animes are entertaining not for a particularly coherent storyline or characters that we can actually empathize with, but for a distinct and very appealing “feel” to the show. In the same vein, Hitsuji no Uta is pretty much nothing but style… but what an amazing style it has. Every single aspect... See full review

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6.5/10 overall

Night on the Galactic Railroad

Oct 15, 2009

In all honesty, I’m not entirely sure what score to give this anime; I’m torn between two completely different opinions. Because of this, rather than just picking one, I'm going to list both. For the purpose of this review, they will be personified as "A-san" and "B-san." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pretentious, snobbish, pseudo-intellectual self: A–san Unsophisticated, ritalin-munching, mindless self: B–san A–san: Night on the Galactic Railroad is, without a doubt, a work of... See full review

?/10 story
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7/10 overall

Ginban Kaleidoscope

Oct 15, 2009

One of the best feelings in life is when you go into an anime assuming it will be awful and get proven wrong. Ginban Kaleidoscope is one of those shows. I expected a low-budget, predictable, cheesy, and clichéd work. …and that’s actually exactly what I got. But never mind any of that; the series has a sort of indefatigable buoyancy that kept me popping back for more, despite the fact that I fully expected to drop the show after the first few episodes (see: Mai Otome, Tsubasa Chronicle, Mahoraba to name a few from recent memory). In the end, although I don’t think I was... See full review

?/10 story
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6.5/10 overall

Genshiken

Oct 15, 2009

Genshiken is funny. The End. ... ... ... Seriously, though, this is usually the only thing in comedies that matters. In anime like Dragon Half, Golden Boy or Fumoffu, there really isn't any point other than the sheer quality of the gags. Watching any of those series for anything but laughs is about as productive as using a condom as a water balloon. Sure, you might be able to do it, but you're missing the point entirely. This isn't really the case, however, with Genshiken. Even though the show is a comedy, the creators are sure to also include some fairly interesting insight into true... See full review

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7/10 overall

Galaxy Angel A

Oct 14, 2009

Galaxy Angel III is the best sequel ever, doing more with its cast than the show has ever done before... Er… I mean… Galaxy Angel III has truly groundbreaking predecessors, and manages to live up to the undeniably prestigious franchise… Wait… no. Galaxy Angel III may be a small step down from its highly enjoyable… No again… Galaxy Angel III is worse than the better-than-average series before it, but… Let’s try one more time: Galaxy Angel I and II were enjoyable fluff; nothing more, nothing less. While I considered II to be a... See full review

?/10 story
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5/10 overall

Futakoi Alternative

Oct 14, 2009

If there’s one thing I can credit Futakoi Alternative for, it’s for consistently surprising me; the show changes gears so rapidly throughout the 13 episodes that it’s basically impossible to predict what will happen next. Just when you think the show is running along the lines of some GAINAX tripfest, the series will abruptly switch to slice-of-life. The creators will wait a few episodes for you to get used to that, and then swerve violently into the angsty romance genre. Then, just as you think that the show is going to consistently do the opposite of what you’re expecting... See full review

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6.5/10 overall

Full Moon wo Sagashite

Oct 14, 2009

Every once in a while, after I finish watching an anime, something extraordinary occurs; I'll sit back, and blankly stare off into space. The anime will have affected me so deeply that I remain completely dumbstruck even after the credits have finished. Full Moon wo Sagashite is one of the few animes to have instigated this phenomenon; after I finished watching it, all I could do was gape at my empty computer screen. What started out as merely a guilty pleasure soon became something I genuinely cared about. After about episode 10, I loved everything about the anime, from the girly character... See full review

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8.5/10 overall

Dead Leaves

Oct 14, 2009

Overall There is so much unified hate towards this short little OVA that it’s difficult to really give a standard critique of the show that rates each category in the abstract. Instead, it’s obligatory to start with why I think most people will hate this. In short, this is an anime that flips the audience the middle finger. The creators make a conscious decision that story, characters, or any real meaning whatsoever are completely unimportant. What's more, the humor is beyond tasteless, the character designs are far from appealing, and the show feels almost like a visual assault in... See full review

?/10 story
9/10 animation
7/10 sound
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7.5/10 overall

Le Portrait de Petit Cossette

Oct 14, 2009

Animation The animation is fantastic, and would have been some of the best of 2004 but for one crucial flaw: the CGI. While the style of the anime is fantastic and easily the highlight of the show, the creator’s insistence to rely on decidedly sub-par computer graphics for a large part of the show definitely hampers it. However, the rest of the visuals are amazing. Like in Soultaker, an anime from the same director, Cossette no Shouzo is amazingly adept at using color, visual perspectives, and striking backgrounds together to meld an amazingly cohesive and impressive visual package. Like... See full review

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7/10 overall

Alien Nine

Oct 14, 2009

Judging solely from the picture here on anidb, one would think that this would be a standard magical girl OVA with no real innovation or complexity. However, without a doubt, this is one of the strangest animes I've ever seen. In Alien Nine, incredibly cute, shoujo characters are juxtaposed against startling violence. The plot begins in standard fruitcake mode (girls must roll around on rollerskates to catch aliens), but deviates from this formula very quickly. I, for one, have no idea what happened in this anime. The plot becomes pretty much indecipherable at the end, and the ending credits have an... See full review

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6/10 overall