Singan

Diamond is Unbreakable (hence DIU) is another TV series in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise, adapting part 4 of the original manga. Generally speaking, it is a good fighting shounen that keeps some fundamental elements of its predeccesors and also brings many new things to the table. Before writing anything else, I would like to point out that while each part of Jojo may be viewed independently from others, it is much better to watch them in chronological order, as you may lose some important context otherwise. So, if you haven't watched anything from Jojo yet, I highly recommend to start with the... See full review

Curly is a one-episode web short directed by Tetsuro Kodama, who previously provided CG direction for the first Mardock Scramble movie and also directed a number of fairly obscure shorts and children's series. Besides, he is the representative director of studio Echoes - a rather unknown Tokyo-based studio specializing in CGI animation that was established in October 2012 and so far has only made a number of short anime (including this one) and provided CG work for the recent gangster series ... See full review

Chiryokumaru is a 2016 web short by Studio 4C, and just like most of their shows it's a pretty original work that offers a little more than it first meets the eye.

STORY & CHARACTERS
The whole plot may be summarized in just two sentences: inside a museum, a young warrior fights against shadow beasts using the energy charger on his back. Soon, the energy runs out, but the warrior finds a new source of power to continue fighting. The plot is extremely short and simple, and even feels somewhat torn out of context, as we never learn why those events take place.
However, as I have already said... See full review

Bavel's Book is a 1996 TV special by independent director and animator... See full review

Twilight Q is an interesting albeit largely forgotten OVA produced back in 1987. Originally, it was supposed to be a showcase for young talents in the industry; alas, only 2 episodes were made before the project was abandoned due to low sales, and the anime ultimately sunk into oblivion. Well, I guess it's high time to do the show some justice and bring it back to the surface.

STORY
As the title clearly suggests, the OVA is a sort of Twilight Zone anthology, which means the episodes don't bear any connection plotwise, yet they have similar mysterious atmosphere and employ the same mix of genres... See full review

Origin: Spirits of the Past is a 2006 movie by studio Gonzo, and just like most stuff they made, it turned out to be nothing more than another rookie work with tons of wasted potential.

STORY
Let's have a look at the premise first:
- a post-apocalyptic world covered with sentient forest that was created during a scientific experiment and later went out of control and spreaded across the Earth, wiping out most of human civilization;
- three factions: the forest and its inhabitants; Neutral City, where people put lots of hard work into building a new society and try to find some compromise... See full review

In the world of show business, music videos are normally treated as mere tools for increasing band's popularity & sales. However, this clip is nowhere near that kind of banality since the creators are Koji Morimoto and Studio 4°C, famous for their experimental animation & generally uncommon approach to anime. The result of their work is simultaneously a very positive piece of entertainment and a rather psychological story with some right ideas... See full review

Based on a story by Kazunori Ito (the scriptwriter for Ghost in the Shell & Patlabor movies), Urban Square: Chasing Amber is a very unusual OVA as it may be perceived in two different ways, and the way you choose pretty much determines whether you'll like it or not.

STORY
Essentially, it's a classic detective story where the main character witnesses a murder and gets into trouble with the mafia; eventually, he ends up an action hero, fighting the criminals and protecting the girl he likes. Not only the plot is rather simple in general, but it also contains quite a lot of cliches typical... See full review

Junk Boy is an old and rather obscure OVA by studio Madhouse that still gets occasional views from those following the recommendations for Golden Boy or those lured by the premise that looks almost exactly like Golden Boy's: a comedy about a guy who gets a job at a men's magazine and tries to score with the girls around. Ironically, the quality gap between these shows can be easily inferred from their respective titles:
- unlike Golden Boy that features several amusing and motivational stories (study!study!study!), Junk Boy has an utterly... See full review

As long as I watch anime, there're two things that never cease to amaze me:
- how a team of talented and experienced people with a huge budget in their hands can still produce a terrible show;
- and how drastically the public reception of a certain anime may differ from one's opinion.
Blood: The Last Vampire is a brilliant example of these paradoxes. First, let's examine some data concerning this anime:
- based on a screenplay by Kenji Kamiyama, director of Seirei no Moribito and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone... See full review

Gotou ni Naritai is one of those obscure anime that's overlooked by most yet liked by many people who watched it. Essentially, the movie is a drama about Ritsuko - a girl born with a bad leg who enters elementary school and gets bullied by the classmates because of her difference. Yet as the plot goes on, the heroine gradually improves her walk, gains confidence and makes friends with her peers. Eventually, she even starts doing short runs, and her goal becomes to participate in a relay race 5x100 (hence the movie's title) that takes place on school sports day.
Now, this anime isn't something you would... See full review

This movie is certainly among the least known fruits of cooperation between director Mamoru Oshii and composer Kenji Kawai. Just like most Oshii's works, the movie has a rather complex thematic background. However, the topics and the message aren't clearly stated, as the anime is very abstract and open for interpretations - there isn't a story in a typical sense, although the story can be inferred.

STORY
First, the seeds of life are brought to the Earth with meteorites crashing into water, and we see several creatures similar to pagan gods standing silently in the forest. Then 3 acts go, each with... See full review

A part of Studio 4°C's Sweat Punch anthology, Higan is a six minute short directed by Yasushi Muraki that tells a story about a man dying in a hospital and the last visions he has, where he and his comrades ride mechas in the night forest and fight against some tanks. The whole thing may be perceived as a tale about horrors of war or an unusual allegory of life & struggle against death, which makes the OVA serious to the core and pretty interesting for its mature themes.
However, the short lacks any backstory concerning the battle and the parties involved, and what's even more frustrating, it... See full review

STORY & CHARACTERS
Kannagi is a little deceptive kind of series: it may look like fantasy at first, yet soon it ends up a harem/moe comedy with insignificant fantasy elements, and well, it isn't nearly as good as some people make it out to be:
- first, the major part of the "plot" is taken up by endless dialogues about nothing at the pace of a crippled snail. Perhaps, fans of K-On! and similar series may enjoy that, but I personally consider it to be nothing more than a boring waste of time;
- second, the... See full review

STORY
The story of Mouryou no Hako (or "Box of evil spirits" in loose translation) is a dark mystery taking place in postwar Japan that follows a group of investigators solving a case concerning bizarre murders of schoolgirls, whose bodies were dismembered and stuffed into boxes. The distinctive features of this story are supernatural Shinto elements and complex non-chronological storytelling with quite a number of surreal, psychological scenes. The latter, apparently, was supposed to make the series more thought-provoking, and it did make my brain work quite a lot... until I realized it's all... See full review

With its dynamic action, grand scale and incredibly detailed animation, Akira is often claimed to be a milestone in the history of anime. However, there are two crucial aspects it lacks to be considered a truly great show.

You know, most good old-school anime (Berserk, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, Area 88, Wings of Honneamise etc.) share two common traits, regardless of their genres: they give you some food for thought and some characters you can relate to. Even seemingly mindless action shows like Ninja Scroll or Fist of the North Star have impressive male leads acting with... See full review

STORY
A short but unforgettable legend-like story with an intriguing beginning, appropriate pacing and great closure. Despite some obvious logical contradictions and historical inaccuracies, the story still looks fresh and unique. ANIMATION
Very artistic, using mostly pale-white and black colors that give the anime a foggy and somewhat melancholic appearance. However, there are two things that feel absolutely out of place: the ridiculous look of English knights and that the Black Swordsman reads his book right to left, although the story takes place in Ireland. I know, those are minor flaws, but they... See full review

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is an anime that needs no special introduction since it often gets praised as one of the most outstanding shows ever created. The question is, what are the reasons for those high accolades and are they actually justified? Well, let's look into the matter to find out the truth.

STORY
While often claimed to be the best cyberpunk anime ever, GITS SAC is ironically one of the less typical representatives of the genre. Although it does share the name, the main characters and the focus on cyber technologies with its famous predecessor, the ... See full review

Ergo Proxy is a highly experimental show, and just like all shows of that kind it always divides the viewers into two camps: while the ones enjoy its complex story and thought-provoking symbolism, the others fiercely criticize it for "pretentiousness" or simply scratch their heads in perplexity, wondering what this whole thing is supposed to mean. 
As for me, I firmly believe this is an amazing series with no exaggeration about it, and with this review I'll try to explain you why. Since the anime has a site description you can always read, allow me to skip further introductions and get... See full review

Berserk is a series that I find rather hard to rate, as it features obvious drawbacks in almost every aspect and yet obtains the level of greatness few anime reach. However, I'll do my best to balance the main vices & virtues without giving out too much of the plot.

STORY
The story comprises both strong positives and visible negatives. Let's start with the former:
- the show takes place in a realistic medieval european-like setting, following a group of mercenaries as they rise to the top through bloody battles and political intrigues. An exciting premise, isn't it? And if you consider how... See full review