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For this review I have to put on my critic hat and take off my anime fanatic hat. It'll seem more clear when I come across the storyline and the enjoyment aspect of this show. But otherwise, it may seem critical but just wait till the overall part

Storyline: 6
Well, explaining the storyline: IdolM@ster is about 13 wanna-be idols who work for a somewhat run down company called 765 production. The hero (not so heroic) of this show is the Producer, named Producer. The definition of an Idol in this show (or Japan, I'm not sure) is someone who applies themself in any publicity situation, like singing or acting. But what it takes to be an idol is apparently being adorable and having ALL these talents (unlike in America, where all it takes is having a "tough life" (ie. YouTube is secondary). These girls all have the talents, just no one to give them events. Then Producer shows up and helps them all along there similar goals. Believe it or not, there are villains in this show, and while I found this to be odd I ended up hating them along with the heroines. Storyline is only lacking in the sense that most of the episodes are similar. The actual plot lies with the idols and how they develop, so enjoying that is what you need to remember.

Art/Animation: 7
The clean and sleek motions the characters show when dancing is simply amazing. It's animation, and it's new, and it's simply well executed. The artist put so much work in this that you can see the hard work throughout every musical performance. Overall when they're just hanging out in the production studio is plain. Standard animated movements. Very clean. The art is very appreciated by me and I feel it's actually one of the high points of the show.

Sound/Music: 8
As previously stated, an idols job is to perform. As in singing. There is a provided new song in each episode as well as a new ending theme every episode. First off is the OP theme. It is WONDERFUL Well, almost. The dance moves that are animated here are very accurate to actual dance moves. Anyway, the music is very pop and upbeat. Something you can tap your foot to, or just plain listen on a drive. The individual episodes of certain characters provide their own songs during regularly scheduled montages in the show, which means there are over 50 songs per episode. These songs are pretty similar, but the unique ones definitely stand out, so watching out for those is my one opinion. The ending themes carry the mood for the end. Whether the ending seemed sad the song can always change that around. The music in this show plays a very important role, which shouldn't be overlooked.

Characters: 7
Idols idols and idols. So many idols to remember. What I'm writing here are the idols that stood out the most and also about the producer:
Haruka Amami: My personal favorite idol. She is the first idol you see on the show with the most upbeat personality and the best and most adorable smile. She is the idol that brings them all together. Haruka is plain lovable, passionate, and has that glow that REAL idols have.
Chihaya Kisaragi: The "troubled past" idol. Without spoiling anything, Chihaya is the idol that has a sad backstory and you are supposed to feel sorry for her. In hindsight, we all see it coming. It isn't till around episode 20ish till we actually see her sad backstory, but we all see the signs. While she seems like trouble, her personal achievements are beautiful; she is an amazing singer. Her songs are what I most enjoyed.
Miki Hoshii: the oddball. She wasn't my favorite, but still one of the more amusing. She has an odd relationship with the producer, and she has the "beauty" that everyone loves. She's one of those characters you either hate, or don't hate.
Last, the PRODUCER: Ah, the Producer. The weakest character ever. I don't hate the Producer, but his overall appearance and characteristics are so weak that you can't help but dislike him a little. His weakness holds mostly everyone back, and doesn't even "bloom" until the end.

Enjoyment:9
As stated in the beginning, I loved the heck out of this show. I couldn't have enjoyed it more. There is humor, drama, some tragedy, and even romance?! No, there's no romance, but this show almost has it all. The main selling genre for IdolM@aster is "slice of life". You really just want to cheer on these idols and boo the other idols that try to stand in there way. The cute little idol's lives are so enjoyable to watch, seeing them interact with each other is another plus, and seeing them grow and grow is the most precious part of this show. I nearly bursted a tear in almost every episode, there is heart no matter where you look in this show.

Overall: 7
The enjoyment is short lived. Only 25 episodes, to some that is not alot, but to me it is quite enough. There are multiple spin offs to this show, but nothing can beat the original. Overall, I give it a 7 duly to the fact that while I loved the heck out of this show, it has slow moments. There are times when you wonder if we really need an episode dedicated to a dog, or do we need to see Miki quit and un quit several times. It goes on and on, but I still love this show. My personal score would give it a high 8, but the critic in me gave it a 7. The enjoyment is high, but the plot is low. Just sit back and enjoy this show. read more

Alrighty, so this show, would be your typical harem show. And technically it is, but you need to look past it and look at the big picture. As in, you need to watch past the first 2 or 3 episodes.

Story:
So it's about these 3 guys. Takashi Haneda, Shūsuke Chitose, and Hayato Narita. These are the protagonists. They all have odd jobs, they all have women confronting them one after the other. So your typical harem anime. What sets the story apart is that it brings a sort of supernatural element to the whole "from another world" aspect. The ladies... aren't a huge deal, so I'll get back to them later, but the overall plot and story revolves around the guys. We start off with Haneda, the timid guy who has a "girlfriend". He seems allright. Then we get to Chitose, the over excited, girl crazy part time worker. And last, theirs Narita. The apathetic handyman who knows everyone. Now I don't want to spoil anything, but these guys are obviously conneted somehow. The story takes a bit to get off the ground, I think it was around episode 5 or 6 that actually explained a bit of the point of this crazy harem. But please, stick around for a bit. It sure as hell gets interesting. I give this bizarre story a 6 (yes, I know I didn't really talk about the story that much, I'm sorry)

Characters:
There are a ton of characters in this show, it's almost hard to keep track of them all. But here I go.
First off, the guys again:
Takashi Haneda, he is one of the main guys in the show. His overall personality is pretty basic. He's shy, gets along with everyone, and when someone threatens him, he tries to resolve the situation as simply as possible. Moving on.
Shūske Chitose, the pervert of the group who is quite smart and reliable at times. Yes, the stereotypical "Pervert but I still like him" character is this guy, although he is good for a laugh or two in the show. Overall, I did find him to be the most enjoyable characters to watch.
And Hayato Narita, the apathetic cool guy that everyone loves. While Narita was definitely the most interesting, he was also the most annyoing. When their was a fight scene, he would kindly try and resolve it without violence. But, nothing wrong with that.
Most of the ladies are pretty much the same:
Hiyoko Tamaizumi, the tsundere of the series, she give off the cool and collected vibe, but she totally digs Chitose. Considering their was about 8 or 9 ladies in the show, she was the least annoying. Tamaizumi is the novelist who can't seem to find a break, getting mostly negative feedback, she finds comfort in Chitose who is the only one who likes her books.
Naru Ohtori, the girl who is missing something and needs help. Yes, in this show, that plot is stretched almost to the end as Narita helps her find her missing bike. Although there is a good laugh or two when she appears, she has the almost moe vibe until she starts mentioning her fetish.
Asuka Watarai, on a whim, said she would be Hanedas boyfriend. Pretending to not really care, Watarai is the girl who gets upset whenever Haneda doesn't feel like hanging out. Watarai I feel, wasn't shown all that much, giving her the "friend who secretly likes him" vibe, even though they're dating.
Overall, I give the characters a 4, reason being that they're was too many, and they didn't spend enough time showing them.

Enjoyment:
My enjoyment was put to the test here. I would be wondering, "Should I really be watching this scene with a smile?". Yes there were awkward times, stupid times, and really unnecessary times, but that's what makes a harem. The fact that I lasted through the show should indicate the fact that I must have enjoyed it just a bit. I will say, it has good points, and bad ones. But you have to watch the entire series in order to fully enjoy them. I give enjoyment a 6.

Overall:
The big picture is this: If it says harem, it's a harem. No, but seriously, Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai (or We Without Wings) is a show that you can't base it by it's cover. You really have to see into a show in order to find it's good points, and when you get a show like this, it can be quite hard to find the good points, but once you get to the end, it's well worth the ride. It is hard to talk about a show like this. I'm not even sure really how to describe it. It's just a show that you have to see, and you're going to have to take my word for it. Like I've stated before though, it does have good points. We Without Wings is a show I'm alright with saying I've watched. Overall though, I give it a 6. I think that's the best rating I can give a show this bizarre. read more

Storyline:

To put it bluntly, Fractale represents the internet. Fractale is injected into people's minds and they can recieve data, browse, and talk to other wherever they are. So yes: The Internet. Now their is this kid named Clain, and I'll talk more about him later, but he is the main character. Now Clain lives alone in a town full of doppels. Doppels are basically avatars, which allow you to hang out with anyone wherever they are and wherever you are. He's the only person in town and hangs out with some doppels. Clain is also into antiquing, he sees an old casset player, and probably freaks out. So he's into that. He is ok with Fractale even though he could probably do without it. Now that you know the basics, theirs more. They throw in a princess! Her name, is Phryne. She meets Clain, hangs out with him. And leaves. Clain is upset, he met a beautiful girl, who he almost intstantly fell in love with, and she left him. Now, while Clain is alone he meets a group of "terrorists" that prefer to live without Fractale (the Internet). He is taken captive. Now, I've said alot, so I'm gonna start talking about what I thought. The whole "Living happily without Factale" is obviously a crack at how people are extremely dependent on the internet. And I understand that, they want to have a lesson in this anime. But while all this is going on, they have the whole princess storyline, that I quite frankly didn't think it needed, interrupting the parts I actually did care about. The storyline, I'm gonna give a 6. Partly because they had an interesting plot, but ruined it with having a princess take up half the episode.

Art:

Now, when I was watching Fractale, I couldn't help but notice the realism it portrayed. The art in this anime simply takes an imaginitive idea, and puts it on the screen. You want a giant robot suit of armor to look beautiful in HD? You got it here. Now, it wasn't as visually magnificent as I've heard reviewers say, but there are some scenes that would make me want to watch again and again. Art is not a very easy thing to make, nor is it to animate, they obviosuly spent some time on the art in this because it sure shows when they wanted it to. Overall, the art I'm going to give a 8.

Character:

Clain is the main guy. He's 12-13 year old kid who is in love with antiques. I wanted to see Clain toughen up throughout this show. At times, I thought, "Hey, I coulda done THAT better!". But honestly, when I was his age, I was pretty dumb too. Clain is the sort of character that you root for, but unintentionally root for. There was a scene where he had something against him, and I kept thinking, "Come on Clain, you can do it!"
Phryne is the "Love interest", if you could call her that. Abandoning home, she's on the run, we've seen this before. She's got a secret that she wants to hide and she trusts NOBODY with it! So pretty standard stuff. Apart from her singing apperences, I found her to be rather plain. But she does develop in the end like every character does!...
And last, Nessa. Nessa is a doppel. A special doppel that does whatever she wants. Nessa was the almost-comic-relief character. I could tell you were supposed to like her, and if you didnt, you'd be heartless. Although I did find Nessa to be entertaining (Granted, Luci Christian provies the voice in the dub) Nessa would just get in the way.
Overall, I'm giving the characters a 5.

Enjoyment:

Well, the enjoyment factor was pretty high here. I did watch the entire series in 1 day, because I did rather find myself having a good time watching it. The thing about a show is it can be terrible, but sometimes I'll just enjoy the heck out of it. Fractale is one of those rare shows that it looks bland, seems bland, and is just overall different. But it sure steps up when it needs too. With not much suspense, just a slice of life anime here, I really enjoyed it. I'm going to say it's about a solid 7.

Overall, Fractale is a very enjoyed series that I think, could have used a bit more too it. It missed alot in terms of character development, and storyline. Maybe if it had gotten maybe 2 more episodes it might've been just a tad bit better. Although some may say it had the perfect No. of episodes, I wouldn't disagree. I would just have liked to see a bit more to this show in the characters. Overall, it's probably a 7.

You should watch this show if you like:
1. Life lessons
2. Intense laundry scenes
3. Internet based shows
4. Just having a good time watching a mellow show. read more