Short entries with first impressions about anime series, ova, and movies to give watchers an idea of what the anime is about or what it's like. Recommendations and youtube video samples at the end of each anime spotlight.
Please leave a comment if a video is broken/missing. Thank you!
Denpa Teki na Kanojo - Once you get past the disturbing first scene, this anime takes you on a strange ride. A high school brawler stays out of trouble long enough to find himself being stalked and revered by a strange girl at his school. So strange that she ultimately becomes a person of interest once a school acquaintence is found dead, part of a mysterious string of serial killings.
(With one episode watched, this Anime Spotlight is brief. At the time of this post, it is marked as an OVA.)
Recommendations:
Himitsu: The Revelation...forget crime scenes, through technological advances images from victims' brains are used to aid investigations, revealing startling details >>
Perfect Blue...a pop star's happy-go-lucky life is turned upside down when an blogger claims to be her and knows surprising small details of her private life
School Days...this anime gives a stark contrast between a happy high school harem anime and a twisted personality anime, here's where you'll find it >>
Souten Kouro caught me by surprise. I didn't expect to be impressed by the art, by the main character, and that it still kept my attention as a historical anime. I usually get a tad bored with historical anime, laden with lots of characters whose relationships I can never remember by the time the next episode is subbed, or by mid-season. Luckily, for this anime, it's not as important. Just pay attention to the main guy Cao Cao and his actions.
The first episode covers a lot of time, and leads me to be impressed by the main man, the type of guy the viewer and many in the anime grow to respect. Nowadays there are a lot of main characters that are of the straightforward and virtuous type, but Cao Cao manages to pull that off and also achieve an air of ferocity and justice.
What about everything else? The action is animated without restraint, and makes no apology for all the blood spilled, body parts severed, and people killed. Blades, bruises, missing teeth, torn clothes, pain, and tears it's all there on the screen. The action scenes aren't drawn-out or lengthy by any means, but what is shown makes an impact. It can also be gruesome outside of the action scenes, too.
What about the goings-on behind the doors of the elite? Basically the higher ups in power are crooked, and Cao Cao is popping up on their radar as a fast-approaching threat. Viewers can enjoy a messed-up beaurocrat getting his just desserts while the suffering townspeople cheer on in hushed tones around their slums. The top brass aren't the only ones who aren't keen on the idea of a young upstart strutting around their town. Not everyone loves Cao Cao, so his path will be an interesting one.
I look forward to these episodes, eager to see what Cao Cao does next.
Recommendations:
Basilisk: Kouga Ninpou Chou >>...two warring ninja clans collide when a peace treaty dissolves, to see who will stand once all the blood is spilled
Eden of the East caught my interest after I saw a promotional trailer. The art looked good, it looked a little dramatic and had some intrigue. Two episodes later, I am impressed by a lot of different facets so far. The dialogue is natural. The setting feels "modern" (mobile phones are utilized and a key device in the series). The artwork is nice and even the backgrounds catch my eye. Although, the CG waslking people can take some getting used to. The pacing is comfortable and kicks up at all the right times without tiring me out.
Forget all that vague stuff, the real story is all about a young lady on a school trip and a young man that manages to steal all the attention with a few waves of a gun. Mid-rescue the two get tangled up in each others' business and stick together while the situation mysteriously escalates around them. On the run, trying to stay out of harm's way, and trying to recover his past are all it takes for these two to bring a good chemistry and a few light moments.
It doesn't get too mushy to detract from the main mystery, and it doesn't get too actiony to take away from the bond the two are forming.
Revealing clues to a forgotten past, while building a greater mystery adds to this series' appeal more than the extra characters that are shown sparingly.
The Opening theme is english, but catchy and set the mood for the anime, with the graphics and dramatic music. The ending theme is more artsy and drums up even more memories of Honey & Clover (The main characters look like Hagu and Morita to me). They've got paper and they know how to use it.
Additional Note: The term NEET is used in the anime. In Japan, the classification comprises people aged between 15 and 34 who are unemployed, unmarried, not enrolled in school or engaged in housework, and not seeking work or the technical training needed for work. (See NEET it on Wikipedia >>)
Recommendations:
Gankutsuo >>...drama whose players have been collected and set, gruesome details of past crimes are revealed
Ergo Proxy >>...more post apocalyptic, hope is lost, robots, darkness, hidden agendas and secrets everywhere
Hachimitsu to Clover >>...similar devotion to artwork, more characters figuring out who they are and deciding where they are going in life
Ga-Rei Zero - watching its first episode, I thought I knew what was going on and what to expect from the anime. We see a special task force who has some history and during the episode battle some demons with some interesting tactics (holy water and holy chants are practical parts of battle), and I thought this anime was going to be about this group of people and we'd learn about the history as the story continues. After the first episode ends, I realize...wow, I was really wrong.
So if you give this anime a shot, watch more than just the first episode. The second episode made me want to watch more of the anime because we meet completely new characters (Kagura, Yomi, and company) and wonder what the connection is between the first and second episode. Then, the third is really the meat of what the anime's focus: the friendship between two ill-fated friends and the struggles, misfortune and evil that brought them to the unhappy dramatic scene in the second episode.
There are some action scenes where I admit, I've rewatched a few times over, because the action was pretty fast, and even after the dust has settled, I wanted to see that "move" again. Maybe they're not as creative as they get, but they seem slightly different than most of the sword-fighting fare.
There is violence, creative weapons, chopped off limbs, and enough blood to know that someone isn't going to quite make it to tomorrow. Friendship is rooted and grows and grows to set you up for what you already know is coming...(because they already showed you earlier). It's like we're seeing the whole thing in hindsight which adds drama to the whole ordeal, from beginning to end.
After the first episode, I wasn't very interested in this anime, and had others to watch and keep me busy. But now my other anime have finished, I watched a few more episodes of Ga-Rei Zero and want to watch it through until the end. It serves as another reminder to me not to judge anime on just the first episode alone.
This video sample is pretty good. Although the trailer's subs are not in English, you get to see some of the good parts of the anime's action and mood.
Recommendations:
Rental Magica >>...specialists from different belief systems team up to excorcise anomolies, lighter fare with comical romance
Claymore...heavy swords, severed limbs, and a lot of pale killer ladies >>
Mouryou no Hako >>...another beautiful friendship that didn't end so prettily, a mystery and crime clues form the story
Nijuu Mensou no Musume...main girl escapes a troubled past only to lead a life struggling to survive and protecting her few friends >>
Heroic Age somehow slipped under my radar a long time ago. I remember seeing the first episode, being a bit interested, and then I forgot about it. I'm glad I picked it up again and finished it, because the series is pretty unique. I think it could easily be passed up by others as the first few episodes don't reflect how the rest of the anime will be, and think it deserves a spotlight.
It starts out in unfamiliar lands with not a soul in sight until Age comes tumbling into the picture. As we're beginning to wonder what his story is, suddenly we're in deep space, spaceships and skin-tight uniforms all around. Before we start recognizing some space military anime that we've seen before, a Princess shows up and she's got some serious clout, and some unique abilities. Once Age and the Princess meet, the story picks up pace and tosses in politics, war, a tribe of god-like beings, deaths, love, and some really nice painting.
There are some bad guys, a division of good and evil that isn't so clear once a history lesson reveals that the story is smack in the middle of prophecy about a war between races that has been scribbling starways across space.
The anime as a whole was very satisfying and a lot the characters were memorable and had impact, especially Age - he's just a really cool character, and the Princess - who offers a lot more than other anime princesses. And even though the "wish there were more episodes" tag is usually used for a great anime like this, I was really satisfied with it and think any more would just mess up its existence.
The opening theme really grew on me, too.
Recommendations:
Soukou no Strain...dreams dashed, her sights set on space, a girl uncovers a disturbing military secret >>
Sousei no Aquarion >>...if you can deal with the "gattai" scenes, a simple ruffian is plucked from obscurity to fulfill his destiny
Starship Yohko >>...an older sillier anime, that doesn't take itself too seriously, some space battles, slapstick, and disturbed enemies
Tenchi Muyo >>...if you love comedy and the idea of space pirates, princesses, and police invading your simple life, this anime is where they all collide
Last Exile...a young pilot and his childhood friend navi become entangled in a three-way war when they take a young mysterious girl under their wings >>
Sometimes I am interested in checking out new anime and want to list them, but then end up dropping a series or two and picking up others. This is a list of anime that I ended up watching this last season:
Jigoku Shoujo: Mitsuganae >>...just when you thought the gates of hell stopped handing out straw dolls, a new pawn appears
Kuroshitsuji...a young heir and his dark butler and the business of revenge >>
Michiko to Hatchin...A duo of brazen beauty and reasonable kindness, these fugitives bust border after border chasing a dead man>>
Minamike Okaeri >>...the sisters three are back and their mundane lives are an open book
Mouryou no Hako >>...chopped up body parts are a gruesome start to a young woman's puzzling past
Munto >>...a young girl gets strength from friends, and encounters another magical world hidden in the sky
Skip Beat!...betrayal and revenge kick-start a surprisingly funny story about rebirth >>
Soul Eater...youths take the forms of weapons and wielders when Death himself needs a little help to keep the peace >>
Tales of the Abyss >>...a sheltered prince's bubble is broken when he runs into his doppelganger and the world comes crashing down at his hand
Viper's Creed...the arrival of a young rookie signals the end of the stalemate between the military and a terrorist group, with Team Viper in the middle >>
White Album >>...the heaviest of moments are buried in the silences between two people in this romantic drama
Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou...Natsume, the book and nyanko sensei are back and face new youkai as enemies and as allies >>
It's too early in the season to make a list of anime that I'm eagerly watching. As only one or two episodes have aired for a lot of new anime, I have a long list of first episodes to wade through. Hopefully this season will have a healthy crop of great anime.
Video Sample:
Out of the above batches theme songs, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou's ending song is great and it surprisingly grew on me by the time the season ended. I don't often get to post ending themes and thought it deserved a spotlight.
Skip Beat is a fun anime with some bright and shiny characters, and a very motivated and simple main gal driving the story. Thanks to this "heroine" of sorts, we get an upbeat story that involves merit stamps.
Kyoko was a simple gal leading a simple life, in which she knew exactly what her role was and was happy to keep it as such. Then she gets the wake up call of a lifetime and is reborn, switching up to a new path that although, grudge-driven, is laced with hilarity as we watch this newfound "heroine of her own life" realize that she's more than a plain girl who can whip up a daikon rose and serve tea...although the daikon rose thing is sort of not-plain.
She encounters new experiences and new "luxuries" (friendship?) and seeing her treasure these everyday situations can make watchers endear her. Then in another episode she seems like an underdog until we can see her true gifts emerge, then the rooting starts.
Although the picture here looks flashy and girly, the anime focuses on the Kyoko's change and self-empowerment that is so natural that she doesn't quite notice it. Only the watchers of this anime and the other characters really make a fuss about seeing a rising star, so don't expect a strutting peacock at the end of the series.
Yes, thanks to these other characters we get even more funny reactions from Kyoko. One character can bring out her gut-wrenching hatred, another can bring wide-eyed pouts of childish complaints--and don't forget we get the razzle dazzle of this being set within the entertainment industry. We get to see snippets of things like auditions and television shows and the drama that happens behind the camera.
This season seemed short because I enjoyed so much of it. I hope that another season is made so I can see how her story turns out.
Recommendations:
Glass Mask >>...you want acting, you can get it here, the struggles and challenges of a rising star performer, her secret fan, and her rival
Kareshi Kanojyo no Jijou >>...the thin line between love and hate appears before two high school overachievers
White Album >>...quiet anime shows the complications of what seems like a dream come true, having an idol as a girlfriend
I've watched anime since 1996 starting with the Dagger of Kamui. Since then I've taken a few years of Japanese language, studied abroad in Japan and learned...that there is a lot of anime to watch.
Working!!
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*Working!!*'s opening theme brings back memories of Azumanga Daioh! and the
anime isn't far off in content.
If you are new to anime or japanese culture, ...
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