Anime Reviews

 

Alternative Name:  Blast Of Tempest
Years of Released:  October 5, 2012 – March 29, 2013
Episodes: 24
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Action, Shounen
Favorite Characters : Mahiro
My Rating: PG-14
Grade: A

Summary: The story revolves around Mahiro Fuwa, a teenager whose sister was mysteriously murdered one year before, and his friend Yoshino Takigawa. Mahiro is contacted by Hakaze Kusaribe, the leader of the Kusaribe clan who was left stranded on an unknown deserted island by her followers, and agrees to help Hakaze in exchange for her help to find out the culprit for the death of his family. Upon learning of his friend's intentions, Yoshino joins him on his quest to stand against the Kusaribe clan who intends to awaken the "Tree of Exodus" whose power can bring ruin to the entire world.

My review: A wild collision of two Sharspear's works - Hamlet and Tempest - with a Japanese animation twist on it. There is a lot going on in the show, the story progressing quickly and goes a long way since the beginning. The is magic, friendship, cult, pain, desperation, and love in it. I loved this show so much, especially the time travel part, although I think it could have been much and much better it they would just choose the target audience more clearly and make the anime for a specific age group. It touches very serious and dark themes but from time to time characters act out of character, too immature and animeish. In short, if it wasn't for fan service, it would be a much more solid show.


Recommend: For everyone

 

Alternative Name:  シュタインズ・ゲート
Years of Released:  April 6, 2011 – September 14, 2011
Episodes: 24
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Romance,
Favorite Characters : Okabe
My Rating: PG-14
Grade: A+

Summary: Steins;Gate takes place in the Akihabara district of Tokyo. On July 28, 2010, Rintarō Okabe and his friend Mayuri Shiina head towards the Radio Kaikan building for a conference, where Rintarō finds a girl named Kurisu Makise lying in a pool of blood. As Rintarō sends a text message about the incident to his friend, Itaru "Daru" Hashida, he experiences a strange phenomenon and the people around him disappear, with no-one else noticing anything had changed. After later running into Kurisu, who is strangely alive and well, and discovering the message he had sent to Itaru had arrived a week before he sent it, Rintarō soon deduces that the 'Mobile Microwave' he and his friends had been developing is, in fact, a time machine capable of sending text messages to the past

My review: It has been awhile since I have stumbled upon something as worthy as Stein;Gate. To tell the truth, I have almost given up on the show (which ironacaly had happened with Code Geass as well) but I'm glad I haven't committed such a crime. The show starts slowly. The first ten or so episodes are just setting everything up for second half of the show, which is much much move intence and the events are happening at a lightning speed, just barely letting your brain to catch up and analyze what is going on.
 What's more, some of the names, facts, and theories were actually taken from real live. Just try searching John Titor and you'll see what I mean.
The characters, who seem cliche at first, are shining bright as you look at each of them at a new engle at each parallel world. It gets very emotional by the end of the story.
All these facts give an amazing depth that everyone who likes a good story can appreciate - anime fan or not.


Recommend: For everyone

 

Alternative Name:  Apollo on the Slope
Years of Released:  April 12, 2012 – June 28, 2012
Episodes: 12
Genre: Coming-of-age, Friendship, Music, Romance,
Favorite Characters : Kaoru
My Rating: PG
Grade: A

Summary: The beginning of summer, 1966; because of his father's job situation, freshman high school student Kaoru Nishimi moves by himself from Yokosuka to Sasebo in Kyushu to live with relatives. Until then, Kaoru was an honor roll student who tended to keep to himself, but meeting notorious "bad boy" Sentaro Kawabuchi starts to change him. Through his devil-may-care classmate, Kaoru learns how much fun it is to play jazz and finds the first person he can call a real friend.

My review: I really liked this show. Great, believable, developping characters; dynamic plot; great music; higher quality animation. Too bad there aren't much of these kind of shows out there.

Recommend: For everyone

 

Alternative Name:  Hataraku Maou-sama!
Years of Released:  April 4, 2013 – June 27, 2013
Episodes: 13
Genre: Comedy, Parody, Romance
Favorite Characters : none
My Rating: PG-13
Grade: B

Summary: The Demon Lord and one of his generals, Alciel, escape Ente Isla through a portal to modern Tokyo, Japan after being confronted by the Hero Emilia Justina and her companions. However, due to the lack of magic in the modern contemporary world, both the Demon Lord and Alciel change into forms representing what they would look like if they were human. In order to survive, the Demon Lord takes a part-time job in a fast food restaurant named MgRonald while Alciel serves as his houseman. One day, the Demon Lord, who now goes by Sadao Maō, meets a girl who is actually the Hero Emilia, who now goes by Emi Yusa. The story then unfolds and explores the personalities of each of the characters and their moral values. More characters show up from Ente Isla and they too face the new world dilemmas, often comically.

My review: This one was pretty funny. There was nothing extraordinary, no original idea, or something I've never seen before, but I found myself enjoying the show.

Recommend: For everyone


Where to watch:     RUS  Here                                          ENG Here 

 

Alternative Name:  Shion's King
Years of Released:  October 13, 2007 – March 22, 2008
Episodes: 22
Genre: Sports, Thriller, Drama
Favorite Characters : Shion
My Rating: PG-13
Grade: A

Summary: Shion no Ō centers around a young junior-high school girl named Shion Yasuoka who witnesses the murder of her parents as a child. At the time of the murder, the killer takes the king piece from her father's shogi board (a Japanese strategy board game similar to chess). This leads her to believe that the murderer may be a shogi player. The shock of the incident renders Shion unable to speak, forcing her to communicate by writing on a pad. After being adopted by her neighbors, the Yasuoka family (where the husband is also a shogi player), Shion takes up the game herself, both for the love of the game and to possibly learn who killed her parents.

My review: A worthy anime, with solid plot, well developed characters, and one of the toughest female lead characters I've ever seen. Don't miss this one.


Recommend: For everyone


Where to watch:     RUS  Here                                          ENG Here 

 

Alternative Name:  Sukitte ii na yo
Years of Released:  October 6, 2012 – December 30, 2012
Episodes: 13
Genre: Romantica, Shouje
Favorite Characters : Shion
My Rating: PG
Grade: B-

Summary: Quiet and unassuming Mei Tachibana has spent her high school years without making friends or getting a boyfriend because of a childhood incident that left her believing that people will betray each other sooner or later. When she encounters a popular boy named Yamato Kurosawa, he becomes interested in her, and it is through their tentative friendship and blossoming relationship that Mei ultimately begins to branch out and befriend others.

My review: I don't watch shouje very often but one day I was in the mood and I stumbled upon "Say I Love You." It wasn't terrible, but I have seen a much better pieces. There are a lot of romance anime out there and there are much more worthy shows to enjoy. However, if you are into Romance in general, don't miss this one.

Recommend: For Girls who love romance


Where to watch:     RUS  Here                                          ENG Here 

 

Alternative Name:  Mushi Master
Years of Released:  October 23, 2005 – June 19, 2006
Episodes: 26
Genre: Mystery, Supernatural, Drama, Fantasy
Favorite Characters : Mushi Master
My Rating: PG-13
Grade: B

Summary: he story features ubiquitous creatures called Mushi that often display what appear as supernatural powers. It is implied that there are many more lifeforms more primitive than "normal" living things such as animals, plants, fungi and bacteria, and Mushi is the most primitive of all. Due to their ethereal nature most humans are incapable of perceiving Mushi and are oblivious to their existence, but there are a few who possess the ability to see and interact with Mushi. One such person is Ginko, the main character of the series. He employs himself as a Mushi Master , traveling from place to place to research Mushi and aid people suffering from problems caused by them. The series is an episodic anthology in which the only common elements among episodes are Ginko and the various types of Mushi.

My review: I really liked the feel of the show, the music, the calmness it carries with it, however I wished there was more of the plot line throughout the show and not just random advantures of the master.

Recommend: Need to be in a curtain mood.


Where to watch:     RUS  Here                                          ENG Here 

 

Alternative Name:  Thriller Restaurant
Years of Released:  October 13, 2009 – June 8, 2010
Episodes: 23
Genre:  Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Children literature
Favorite Characters : Ghost
My Rating: PG
Grade: A

Summary: There is a loose theme throughout the series of the "Thriller Restaurant", which is introduced in the first episode. The remainder of the series is a collection of ghost stories reminiscent of the Scary Stories anthology and Kwaidan.

My review:  Even though I'm way above this show's target audience, I found myself enjoing the series very much. I was looking for some scary anime to watch and found Thriller Restaurant - a fine find. Love the structure of each episode as they present each story as a restaurant menu (with a sweet and blood chilling desert in the end of course).
Recommend: Deffinenty


Where to watch:     RUS  Here                                          ENG Here